A. Introduces the topic by defining key terms of: eating disorders, anorexia, and bulimia.
II. Causes of Anorexia and Bulimia
A. Discusses causes and contributors of both condition and notes overlap. Causes and contributors
1. Causes and contributors are said to include: fear of being fat, distorted body image, high levels of serotonin, genetic predisposition, pressure of living in a culture that values thinness and specific personality variables.
III. Consequences of Anorexia and Bulimia
A. Delineates consequences including: extreme weight loss, stomach and esophagus pain; tooth decay from acid stomach, malnutrition, low blood pressure, electrolyte imbalances, loss of muscle tissue (including heart tissue), depression, and death.
IV. Why Adolescent Females Are Susceptible
A. Discusses common reasons including: increased susceptibility to societal pressure to be thin, higher genetic prevalence, history of sexual abuse, and teasing about weight.
V. Treatment of Anorexia and Bulimia and Success Rates
A. Discusses several treatments for both conditions and the role of the therapist in successful treatment.
Golan and Heyman (2005) define "eating disorders" as syndromes associated with eating patters that disturb, disrupt, and/or threaten physical health. Two of the most common types of eating disorders, according to the authors, are anorexia and bulimia.
According to the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV, 2000), bulimia is a pattern of binge eating and purging the sufferer feels unable to control while anorexia is a refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight associated with refusal to eat. While bulimics eat almost uncontrollably and then purge, anorexics eat little.
Butcher, Mineka and Hooley (2003) report that there is a degree of overlap between anorexia and bulimia in that it is possible for patients to suffer from both conditions at the same time and/or swing fr...