Question

explain eating disorder area of concern such as disease state, metabolism, treatment in a disease.

Answer 1

Eating disorders can be Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, obesity, Binge eating disorders and psychogenic vomiting. Usually they are associated with psychological or behavioural factors in presentation.

Anorexia nervosa is prolonged loss of appetite, is characterized by morbid fear of obesity, there is gross distortion of body image, preoccupation with food and refusal to eat. Upto 50% have bulimic episodes. Predominantly occuring in young females, so there is reduced intake of food, excessive exercise, self induced vomiting etc.

This leads to excessive weight loss, malnutrition associated obsessive compulsive personality trait and Hypokalemia if untreated leading to death, Anaemia untreated leading to cardiac failure.

Treatment includes behavioural therapy, individual psychotherapy, drugs like antidepressants, antipsychotic, cyproheptadine and group therapy. Prognosis is generally better if diagnosed early.

Bulimia nervosa characterized by intense fear of becoming obese, body image disturbance, persistent preoccupation with eating, craving for food, episodes of binge eating, attempts to counteract by self induced vomiting, purgative abuse.

Treatment includes behavioural therapy, individual therapy, antidepressants, group and family Therapy.

Obesity can be due to reaction to distressing events,drugs, endocrine factors, constitutional factors.Treatment depends upon underlying cause.

Psychogenic vomiting is a condition in which biopsychosocial factors interact to produce symptoms, mistaken for upper GI disease. Despite repeated vomiting weight loss is usually not significant. Course of illness is usually chronic with frequent remission and relapse.Treatment is identification of psychosocial stresses, psychotherapy.