Anorexia Nervosa: Anorexia nervosa involves an obsession with maintaining a weight below the minimum standard for one’s height and age. The body is perceived as distorted, with a constant feeling of being overweight. Types include:
- Restrictive Type: Strictly limits food intake, counts bites and calories, and increases physical activity.
- Purging Type: Uses vomiting or laxatives after excessive food intake.
Severity and duration are indicated by Body Mass Index (BMI):
- Average BMI: 18.5-25
- Mild Anorexia: 17 or more
- Moderate Anorexia: 16-16.99
- Severe Anorexia: 15-15.99
- Critical Anorexia: 15 or less
Characteristics:
- Intense fear of weight gain despite being underweight
- Pursuit of extreme thinness
- Distorted perception of body shape and weight
- Excessive influence of body weight on self-esteem
- Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation)
- Increased sensitivity to cold
- Gastrointestinal issues (bloating, constipation, sensation of fullness after small amounts)
- Dizziness, syncope
- Sleep disturbances
- Growth retardation
- Hypothermia, cold extremities
- Bradycardia, hypotension, arrhythmia
- Endocrine disorders
- Gastrointestinal, hematological, and cardiovascular changes
Complications can result in a 5% mortality rate.
Bulimia Nervosa: Bulimia involves episodes of uncontrollable overeating followed by guilt, self-punishment, and remorse. To avoid weight gain from excessive eating, individuals may use extreme methods to control weight (excessive exercise, laxatives, vomiting).
Binge Eating Disorder: Involves uncontrolled eating episodes triggered by high anxiety and depressed mood. It is characterized by a loss of control over eating and is driven by a compulsion to relieve stress.
Treatment:
- Pharmacotherapy
- Psychotherapy