Eating Disorders:
Anorexia Nervosa &
Bulimia Nervosa
8th Grade Health
Mr. Springer
“Courage”
Superchick
I told another lie today
And I got through this day
No one saw through my games
I know the right words to say
Like "I don't feel well," "I ate before I came"
Then someone tells me how good I look
And for a moment, for a moment I am happy
But when I'm alone, no one hears me cry
I need you to know
I'm not through the night
Some days I'm still fighting to walk towards the light
I need you to know
That we'll be OK
Together we can make it through another day
I don't know the first time I felt unbeautiful
The day I chose not to eat
What I do know is how I've changed my life forever
I know I should know better
There are days when I'm OK
And for a moment, for a moment I find hope
But there are days when I'm not OK
And I need your help
So I'm letting go
I need you to know
I'm not through the night
Some days I'm still fighting to walk towards the light
I need you to know
That we'll be OK
Together we can make it through another day
You should know you're not on your own
These secrets are walls that keep us alone
I don't know when but I know now
Together we'll make it through somehow
(together we'll make it through somehow)
I need you to know
I'm not through the night
Some days I'm still fighting to walk towards the light
I need you to know
That we'll be OK
Together we can make it through another day
Anorexia Nervosa

Definition: a serious,
potentially life
threatening eating
disorder characterized
by selfstarvation/excessive
weight loss
Anorexia Nervosa Symptoms
Primary Symptoms
•
Resistance to maintain body weight at or
above a minimally normal body weight for
age/height
•
Intense fear of weight gain or being “fat”,
even though underweight
Anorexia Nervosa Symptoms
Primary Symptoms (cont)
• Disturbance in the experience of body
weight/shape or denial of seriousness of low
body weight.
•
Loss of menstrual periods in girls and women
post-puberty.
Warning Signs Of Anorexia
Nervosa
•
Dramatic weight loss
•
Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams,
and dieting
•
Refusal to eat certain foods/groups
Ex. No Carbs
•
Frequent comments about being fat or overweight
despite weight loss
•
Denial of hunger
Warning Signs Of Anorexia
Nervosa
•
Development of food rituals (excessive chewing,
rearranging)
•
Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes/situations
involving food
•
Excessive exercise routine
•
Withdraw from usual friends & activities
Consequences Of Anorexia
Nervosa
•
Abnormally slow heart rate/low blood pressure,
increased risk of heart failure over time
•
Reduction in bone density
•
Muscle loss/weakness
•
Severe dehydration which can result in kidney failure
•
Dry hair & skin, hair loss is common
•
Growth of downy hair layer called lanugo all over body
Anorexia Nervosa Facts
90-95% of sufferers are girls/women
(American Psychiatric Assoc.)
Between 5-10% of American women suffer from Anorexia Nervosa
Between 5-20% of individuals with Anorexia Nervosa will die
(Zerbe, K.J.(1995) The Body Betrayed)
Typically appears in early to mid-adolescense, one of the most
common psychiatric diagnoses in young women
(Hsu, G.L.K. (1996) Epidemiology of the Eating Disorders. Psychiatric
Clinics of North America,19(4), 681-697)
Anorexic Twins Video Clips
(part 1)
(part 2)
(part 3)
(part 4)
Bulimia Nervosa

Definition: a serious, potentially lifethreatening eating disorder characterized by a
cycle of bingeing followed by purging to try
and rid the body of unwanted calories.
Bulimia Nervosa Symptoms

•
Primary Symptoms
Regular intake of large amounts of food
accompanied by a sense of loss of control over
eating behavior.
•
Regular use of inappropriate compensatory
behaviors such as self-induced vomiting,
laxative/diuretic abuse, fasting, and/or obsessive
compulsive exercise.
•
Extreme concern with body weight and shape.
Warning Signs of Bulimia
Nervosa
•
Evidence of binge eating (food wrappers)
•
Evidence of purging behaviors (frequent trips
to bathroom after meals)
•
Excessive, rigid exercise regimen
•
Unusual swelling of cheeks/jaw area
Warning Signs of Bulimia
Nervosa
•
Calluses on back of hands/knuckles from selfinduced vomiting
•
Discoloration/staining of teeth
•
Creating of lifestyle schedules to make time
for binge & purge sessions
•
Withdrawal from friends and activities
Consequences of Bulimia
Nervosa
•
Electrolyte imbalances can lead to irregular heartbeat,
heart failure and death.
•
Inflammation and possible rupture of esophagus from
frequent vomiting.
•
Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids released
during vomiting.
•
Chronic irregular bowel movements and constipation as
result of laxative abuse.
•
Gastric rupture is possible.
Bulimia Nervosa Facts
•
Bulimia nervosa affects 1-2% of adolescent and young
adult women.
•
Approximately 80% of bulimia nervosa patients are
female.
•
People struggling with bulimia nervosa appear to be of
average body weight.
•
Many people struggling realize their behaviors are
unusual and dangerous to their health.
•
Bulimia nervosa is frequently associated with symptoms
of depression & changes in social adjustment.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
Definition: characterized by recurring binge
eating or compulsive overeating
An example story
Walker's room is his oasis. It's where he listens to music, does
his homework, and talks online with his friends. For the most
part, it looks like a typical bedroom — except for what's under
the bed. That's where Walker keeps his secret stash of snacks
and tosses the empty candy wrappers, chip bags, and cookie
boxes. Walker has just polished off a whole package of
cookies and a large bag of chips — and he hasn't even
finished his homework yet. He's searching for more chips to
eat while he does his math. He hates that he's overweight, but
he can't seem to stop bingeing. In the back of his mind, he
knows that in an hour or so he's going to feel guilty and
disgusted with himself, but right now it feels like he just can't
stop eating.
Warning Signs of Binge Eating
Disorder
•
Frequent episodes of eating large quantities of
food in short periods of time.
•
Feeling out of control over eating behavior.
•
Feeling ashamed or disgusted by behavior.
•
Eating when not hungry and eating in secret
Health Consequences of Binge
Eating Disorder





High blood pressure
High cholesterol levels
Heart disease
Diabetes
Gallbladder disease
*All of these symptoms commonly associated
with clinical obesity.
Binge Eating Disorder Facts
•
Affects approximately 1-5% of the population.
•
Affects women slightly more than men (60% are female,
40% are male).
•
People struggling with binge eating disorder can be of
normal or heavier than average weight.
•
BED associated with symptoms of depression.’
•
People struggling with BED often express distress,
shame and guilt over their eating behaviors.
Review Questions