Eating Disorders

Range of Eating Disorders  Early Childhood –Feeding disorder of infancy/early childhood –Pica –Failure to thrive  Later Childhood/Adolescence –Anorexia –Bulimia  Obesity – medical condition

Eating and Normal Development  Problematic eating common in early childhood- 1/3 picky eaters  Societal norms affect girls more

Developmental Risk Factors  Drive for thinness –Motivates dieting –refers to the belief that losing more weight is the answer to overcoming problems

Developmental Risk Factors (cont.)  Risk factors for later eating problems : –early problematic eating behaviors –early pubertal maturation –high percentages of body fat –concurrent psychological problems –poor body image –Chronic dieting

Developmental Risk Factors  Drive for thinness  Disturbed eating patterns  High body fat/being overweight  Chronic dieting

Anorexia Nervosa  Refusal to maintain body weight  Intense fear of gaining weight  Disturbance in body image  Amenorrhea in women  2 types –Restricting –Binge eating/purging

Associated Features  Malnutrition  Depression  Anxiety  OCD (anorexia)

Developmental Course  25% full recovery  50% partial recovery  Early onset may be assoc. w/ less negative prognosis  Protective factors: early intervention, good family functioning

Bulimia Nervosa  Recurrent episodes of binge eating  Some compensatory behavior  Self-evaluation overly influenced by body shape & weight

Interventions/Treatment  Anorexia –Family treatment –Increase ego strength & autonomy  Bulimia –CBT: self-monitoring of food/eating, modify distorted cognitions, –Interpersonal therapy

Binge Eating Disorder  Binge eating without compensatory behavior

General Comments .5 to 3% of young females  Highly culturally specific

Etiology  No single factor  Biological Context: –Genetics –Neurochemistry –Brain-imaging  Individual Context: –Body image –Personality characteristics  Family Context: –Overly involved/intrusive –Overprotective –Rigid –Indirect conflict resolution  Cultural Context

 Pica –eating inedible, non-nutritive substances for one month –very young children and those with MR –Causes:  poor stimulation  poor supervision  genetic factors in some cases of MR –treatments based on operant conditioning

Obesity  Obesity –chronic medical condition characterized by excessive body fat BMI above the 95 th% ) –affects children’s psychological and physical health –increasing- as of 1990’s, 15% of children were overweight –Childhood obesity likely to persist into adolescence and adulthood

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