Eating DisordersEating Disorders

Range of Eating DisordersRange of Eating Disorders

Early ChildhoodEarly Childhood– Feeding disorder of infancy/early Feeding disorder of infancy/early

childhoodchildhood– PicaPica– Failure to thriveFailure to thrive

Later Childhood/AdolescenceLater Childhood/Adolescence– AnorexiaAnorexia– BulimiaBulimia

Obesity – medical conditionObesity – medical condition

Eating and Normal DevelopmentEating and Normal Development Problematic eating common in early Problematic eating common in early

childhood- 1/3 picky eaterschildhood- 1/3 picky eaters Societal norms affect girls moreSocietal norms affect girls more

Developmental Risk FactorsDevelopmental Risk Factors Drive for thinness Drive for thinness

– Motivates dietingMotivates dieting– refers to the belief that losing more refers to the belief that losing more

weight is the answer to overcoming weight is the answer to overcoming problems problems

Developmental Risk Factors Developmental Risk Factors (cont.)(cont.)

Risk factors for later eating Risk factors for later eating problems :problems :– early problematic eating behaviorsearly problematic eating behaviors– early pubertal maturationearly pubertal maturation– high percentages of body fathigh percentages of body fat– concurrent psychological problemsconcurrent psychological problems– poor body imagepoor body image– Chronic dietingChronic dieting

Developmental Risk FactorsDevelopmental Risk Factors

Drive for thinnessDrive for thinness Disturbed eating patternsDisturbed eating patterns High body fat/being overweightHigh body fat/being overweight Chronic dietingChronic dieting

Anorexia NervosaAnorexia Nervosa

Refusal to maintain body weightRefusal to maintain body weight Intense fear of gaining weightIntense fear of gaining weight Disturbance in body imageDisturbance in body image Amenorrhea in womenAmenorrhea in women

2 types2 types– RestrictingRestricting– Binge eating/purgingBinge eating/purging

Associated FeaturesAssociated Features

MalnutritionMalnutrition DepressionDepression AnxietyAnxiety OCD (anorexia)OCD (anorexia)

Developmental CourseDevelopmental Course

25% full recovery25% full recovery 50% partial recovery50% partial recovery

Early onset may be assoc. w/ less Early onset may be assoc. w/ less negative prognosisnegative prognosis

Protective factors: early intervention, Protective factors: early intervention, good family functioninggood family functioning

Bulimia NervosaBulimia Nervosa

Recurrent episodes of binge eatingRecurrent episodes of binge eating Some compensatory behaviorSome compensatory behavior Self-evaluation overly influenced by Self-evaluation overly influenced by

body shape & weightbody shape & weight

Interventions/TreatmentInterventions/Treatment

AnorexiaAnorexia– Family treatmentFamily treatment– Increase ego strength & autonomyIncrease ego strength & autonomy

BulimiaBulimia– CBT: self-monitoring of food/eating, CBT: self-monitoring of food/eating,

modify distorted cognitions,modify distorted cognitions,– Interpersonal therapyInterpersonal therapy

Binge Eating DisorderBinge Eating Disorder

Binge eating without compensatory Binge eating without compensatory behaviorbehavior

General CommentsGeneral Comments

.5 to 3% of young females.5 to 3% of young females Highly culturally specificHighly culturally specific

EtiologyEtiology No single factorNo single factor Biological Context:Biological Context:

– GeneticsGenetics– NeurochemistryNeurochemistry– Brain-imagingBrain-imaging

Individual Context:Individual Context:– Body imageBody image– Personality characteristicsPersonality characteristics

Family Context:Family Context:– Overly involved/intrusiveOverly involved/intrusive– OverprotectiveOverprotective– RigidRigid– Indirect conflict resolutionIndirect conflict resolution

Cultural ContextCultural Context

PicaPica– eating inedible, non-nutritive substances eating inedible, non-nutritive substances

for one monthfor one month– very young children and those with MRvery young children and those with MR– Causes:Causes:

poor stimulation poor stimulation poor supervision poor supervision genetic factors in some cases of MRgenetic factors in some cases of MR

– treatments based on operant treatments based on operant conditioningconditioning

ObesityObesity

ObesityObesity– chronic medical condition characterized chronic medical condition characterized

by excessive body fat BMI above the by excessive body fat BMI above the 9595th%th%))

– affects children’s psychological and affects children’s psychological and physical healthphysical health

– increasing- as of 1990’s, 15% of children increasing- as of 1990’s, 15% of children were overweightwere overweight

– Childhood obesity likely to persist into Childhood obesity likely to persist into adolescence and adulthoodadolescence and adulthood

Figure 13.2 Bigger meals, bigger kids. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, McDonald’s, and Newsweek.