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Diagnosing anorexia

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  • Diagnosing anorexia

Diagnosing Anorexia Nervosa

Although there will be no question asking you to describe the symptoms of anorexia nervosa, it is important that you understand the nature of the disorder before we get into the etiologies or potential explanations for the disorder. You should know the affective, behavioural, cognitive, and physiological (somatic) symptoms of the disorder as well as the difficulties in obtaining a valid diagnosis.

Key concepts

Atypical anorexia: an eating disorder in which a person meets some, but not all, of the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa.

Body dysmorphia: a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others.

Bradycardia: an abnormally slow heart rate, below 50-60 beats per minute during the day. Severe bradycardia can increase the risk of heart failure. 

Electrolyte: important electrically charged chemicals in the body that play a key role in heartbeat, muscle function, and neuron firing. The electrolytes most frequently impacted by eating disorders are potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, and phosphorous.

Food restriction: eating fewer calories than the body needs to maintain weight and/or adequate growth

Anorexia nervosa and the DSM 5

Read through the following presentation.  At the end of the presentation, you should be able to explain the key symptoms of anorexia nervosa and why it is often difficult to diagnose.

Living with anorexia nervosa

The following video looks at the effects of having anorexia nervosa.  After watching the video, reflect on the effects of the disorder on  Dominique and on others around her.

Checking for understanding

Which of the following is true about anorexia nervosa?

The disorder is found in cultures around the world, not just in Western cultures.  The suicide rate for people with anorexia is roughly 26%. And the disorder affects women more then men.

 

Which of the following symptoms is not part of a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa?

Binge eating is linked to a different eating disorder - bulimia. Dieting in and of itself is not a symptom of anorexia - but dieting when one is already underweight is what is meant by "restricting energy."

 

Atypical anorexia is diagnosed when ...

 

 

Which of the following physiological tests leads to a diagnosis of anorexia?

Although all three of the tests above may play a role in the overall health of a person living with anorexia, they are not given as part of the diagnosis of the disorder.

 

Why is it difficult to diagnose people living with anorexia?

The key symptom of fear of weight gain/fat is not consistent in people living with anorexia.  This may be due to the progression of the disorder or cultural reasons.  We can measure one's level of body dysmorphia and there is a standard weight ratio called the BMI.  Although there are argumets about the use of the BMI, it is still used in diagnosing the disorder.

 

Total Score:

Continue to Biological explanations of anorexia