Definition
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (APA, 2000) includes as the essential features of anorexia nervosa the following: (1) refusal to maintain body weight: weight at least 15% below what is considered normal for others of the same height and age; (2) intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat; (3) disturbance in body image or denial of seriousness of current low body weight; belief that the one is overweight though in reality they are underweight; and (4) amenorrhea: missing at least three consecutive menstrual cycles (if a female of childbearing age).
There are two types of anorexia nervosa: restricting and binge-eating/purging (APA, 2000). Many individuals with anorexia will severely restrict their calories sometimes taking in only a few hundred calories a day or just water. This is called the restricting type. Other individuals who eat and then fear weight gain may vomit or exercise; this type of anorexia is called...
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References and Readings
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Text Revision.
Couturier, J., & Lock, J. (2007). A review of medication use for children and adolescents with eating disorders. Journal of Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 16, 173–176.
Lock, J., Le Grange, D., Agras, W. S., Moye, A., Bryson, S. W., & Jo, B. (2010). Randomized clinical trial comparing family-based treatment to adolescent focused individual therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67, 1025–1032. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.128.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2011). Eating disorders. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders/complete-index.shtml
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Patino-Fernandez, A.M. (2013). Anorexia Nervosa. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_724
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