Sections
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa: Introduction | Diagnosis | Epidemiology | Comorbidity | Etiology and Risks for Adolescent Eating Disorders | Prevention | Developmental Course and Outcomes | Evaluation of Patients With Eating Disorders | Treatment for Adolescents With Eating Disorders | Research Directions | Summary Points | References
Excerpt
Eating disorders are relatively common psychiatric
disorders most often observed in late adolescent and young adult
females, with typical onset during adolescence (ages 12–18
years). Eating disorders may be chronic and relapsing conditions
and are often associated with significant medical morbidity and psychiatric
comorbidity. The etiology, maintaining factors, and treatment of
eating disorders have been understudied, particularly in regard
to children and adolescents. DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association 1994) and its text revision, DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association 2000a), include three eating disorder diagnoses:
1) anorexia nervosa (AN) and 2) bulimia nervosa (BN), which each
have specific criteria; and 3) eating disorder not otherwise specified
(EDNOS), which is a more heterogeneous diagnosis capturing clinically
significant eating disorder presentations that cannot be categorized
as AN or BN.