Bulimia Nervosa

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that bulimia involves the consumption of extremely large amounts of food and subsequent efforts to eliminate that food and calories through purging or other ways. The paper examines the various factors that may predispose individuals to bulimia and looks at the criteria for a diagnosis. The paper discusses the relationship between bulimia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and explains how treatments for bulimia include both psychological and pharmacological interventions. Finally, the paper explores the possible prevention of this eating disorder.

From the Paper:

"Bulimia is a serious, multifaceted psychiatric illness that entails physiological, psychological, cultural, and developmental components (McGilley & Pryor, 1998). Over two million adolescent girls and young women in the United States alone are affected by this disorder (Lamb, 1999). The disorder involves the consumption of extremely large amounts of food, also known as binge behavior, and then subsequent efforts to eliminate the food and calories just consumed through the act of purging (vomiting, laxative use, etc.) or non-purging behavior (fasting, excessive exercise). Extreme anxiety, physical discomfort, and intense guilt following a binge provoke the individual with bulimia to engage in purging behavior (McGilley & Pryor, 1998)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association (1994).
• Bacaltchuk, J., Hay, P., Trefiglio, R. "Antidepressants Versus Psychological Treatments and Their Combination for Bulimia Nervosa." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 4 (2001): CD003385.
• Lamb, J. "Bulimia Nervosa." The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Eds. Olendorf, O.; Jeryan, C.; and Boyden, K. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, 1999.
• McGilley, B.M., Pryor, T.L. "Assessment and Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa." American Family Physician 57 (1998): 2743-50.
• Mitchell, J.E., Agras, S., Wonderlich, S. "Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa: Where Are WE and Where Are We Going?" International Journal of Eating Disorders 40.2 (2006): 95-101.

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