This document outlines information about eating disorders including definitions, health consequences, risk factors, prevalence, prevention, and treatment. It defines eating disorders as conditions characterized by abnormal eating habits caused by biological, psychological, and environmental influences. The document discusses specific eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. It also provides statistics on the prevalence of eating disorders in the United States and risk factors. The document concludes by discussing evidence-based approaches to prevention and treatment of eating disorders.

1. Mashie Shirken
March 4, 2015

2. Outline
• Eating Disorders:
Definitions
Health Consequences
Risk Factors
Prevalence
Prevention

3. What is an Eating Disorder?
Condition characterized by abnormal eating habits
Cause is unknown
Biological, Psychological, and Environmental influences
Some genes have been identified
Type of behavioral addiction
Triggers similar pathways in the brain associated with
substance abuse

4. Disordered Eating vs. Eating
Disorder
Disordered eating is a classification used to describe a
wide range of irregular eating behavior that do not
warrant a diagnosis of a specific eating disorder
Individuals affected by disordered eating may be
diagnosed with an eating disorder not otherwise
specified (ENOS)

5. Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
Binge Eating Disorder
Eating Disorders

6. Less Well Known Eating
Disorders
Night Eating Syndrome
Nocturnal Sleep Related Eating Disorder
Chewing and Spitting
Pica

7. Less Well Known Eating
Disorders
Purging Disorder
Anorexia Athletica (compulsive exercising)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Eating Disorders not Otherwise Specified (ENOS)

8. US Government Office on Women’s Health

9. US Government Office on Women’s Health

10. Risk Factors
Gender
Age
Genetic Disposition
Unrealistic Expectations
Media Model Internalization
Perfectionism
Individual Athletics

11. Figure 11.4 Dangerous shortcuts
Abnormal Psychology, Eighth Edition DSM-5 UPDATE, Ronald J. Comer.
Copyright © 2014 by Worth Publishers

12. Figure 11.3 When do people seek junk food?
Abnormal Psychology, Eighth Edition DSM-5 UPDATE, Ronald J. Comer.
Copyright © 2014 by Worth Publishers

13. Statistical Facts About Eating
Disorders in the USA
20 million girls and women and 10 million boys and
men struggle with severe eating disorders such as
Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating
Disorder.
35-57% of adolescent girls engage in crash dieting,
fasting, self-induced vomiting, diet pills, or laxatives.
Overweight girls are more likely than normal weight
girls to engage in such extreme dieting. (NEDA, 2013)

14. Statistical Facts - continued
86% of Individuals report onset of illness by the age of
20, with the highest rate of onset between ages of 16-20
(ANAD, 2000).
91% of women surveyed on a college campus
attempted to control weight through dieting.
35% of “normal dieters” progress to pathological
dieting.
Of those, 20-25% progress to partial or full syndrome
eating disorders.
(NEDA, 2013)

15. Statistical Facts - continued
Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-
third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight
control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting,
smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking
laxatives.
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate
of any other mental disorder.
Co-occurrence of substance abuse and eating
disorders is estimated at close to 50%.

16. Statistical Facts - continued
The average BMI of Miss America winners has
decreased from around 22 in the 1920’s to 16.9 in the
2000’s. The World Health Organization classifies a
normal BMI as falling between 18.5 and 24.9.
Of American, elementary school girls who read
magazines, 69% say that the pictures influence their
concept of the ideal body shape. 47% say the pictures
make them want to lose weight.
(NEDA, 2013)

17. Figure 11.1 Undergraduates and body dissatisfaction
Abnormal Psychology, Eighth Edition DSM-5 UPDATE, Ronald J. Comer.
Copyright © 2014 by Worth Publishers

18. Think Prevention!
Primary Prevention refers to programs or efforts
that are designed to prevent the occurrence of
eating disorders before they begin.
Secondary Prevention refers to programs or
efforts that are designed to promote the early
identification of an eating disorder and
treatment before it spirals out of control.
Tertiary Prevention aims to treat full blown
eating disorders and prevent further physical
damage.

19. Evidence Based Approaches to
Prevention and Treatment
Programs that adopt an ecological approach –
involving not only individual change but also
changing the environment of teacher and peer
behavior – have shown some success (NEDA,2013).
Social Support Seeking strategy and long term
outcome (Binford et al., 2005).

20. Evidence Based Approaches to Prevention
and Treatment-continued
Programs that emphasize a healthy weight have led
to positive change (NEDA, 2013).
Dissonance based eating disorders prevention
program were found to be helpful in prevention(Stice
et al., 2006).
Prevention of body dissatisfaction can prevent
disordered eating (Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2006).

21. Evidence Based Approaches to Prevention and
Treatment-continued
• Cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Psycho-educational program researched in
Canada was determined to be equally effective
as cognitive behavioral therapy with the
exception of severe conditions of eating
disorders (Fairburn, 1995).

22. Cost of treatment for one person with an eating
disorder is $30,000 per month.
The average direct medical cost for treating eating
disorders patients in the USA is currently $5 to $6
Billion per year.
The global cost of antipsychotic medication is $7
Billion per year.
(NEDA, 2005)

23. Despite its prevalence funding for eating disorders
research is approximately 94% less than for Alzheimer's.
Illness Prevalence NIH Research
Funds
Alzheimer’s Disease 5.1million $450,000,000
Autism 3.6 million $160,000,000
Schizophrenia 3.4 million $276,000,000
Eating disorders 30 million $28,000,000
Research dollars spent on eating disorders averaged $0.93
per effected individual compared to $81 per effected
individual with Schizophrenia, or $88 per individual with
Alzheimer’s Disease.
(NIH, 2011)

24. Thank You