Anorexia

eating disorders

eating disorders, in psychology, disorders in eating patterns that comprise four categories: anorexia nervosa, bulimia, rumination disorder, and pica. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by self-starvation to avoid obesity. People with this disorder believe they are overweight, even when their bodies become grotesquely distorted by malnourishment. Bulimia is characterized by massive food binges followed by self-induced vomiting or use of diuretics and laxatives to avoid weight gain. Some anorexic patients combine bulimic purges with their starvation routine. These disorders generally afflict women—particularly in adolescence and young adulthood—and are much less common among men. Some researchers believe that anorexia and bulimia are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain; one study has linked bulimia to deprivation of tryptophan, an amino acid used by the body to make the neurotransmitter serotonin. Others contend that these disorders are rooted in societal ideals that value slenderness. Rumination disorder generally occurs during infancy, and involves repeated regurgitation accompanied by low body weight. Infants suffering from rumination disorder may re-ingest the regurgitated food. Pica, also found primarily among infants, is characterized by eating various non-nutritive substances like plaster, paint, or leaves. Obesity is not generally considered an eating disorder, since its causes tend to be physiological.

Selected full-text books and articles on this topic at Questia

Demystifying Anorexia Nervosa: An Optimistic Guide to Understanding and Healing
Alexander R. Lucas. Oxford University Press, 2004

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Eating Disorders and Obesity: A Comprehensive Handbook
Christopher G. Fairburn; Kelly D. Brownell. Guilford Press, 2005 (2nd edition)

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The Psychology of Eating and Drinking
A. W. Logue. Brunner-Routledge, 2004 (3rd edition)

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 9 "'Hunger Talks a Most Persuasive Language': Anorexia and Bulimia"

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Handbook of Eating Disorders
Janet Treasure; Ulrike Schmidt; Eric Van Furth. John Wiley & Sons, 2003 (2nd edition)

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Abnormal and Clinical Psychology: An Introductory Textbook
Paul Bennett. Open University Press, 2006 (2nd edition)

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 12 "Eating Disorders"

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Biological Psychiatry
Hugo D'Haenen; J.A. Den Boer; P. Willner. Wiley, vol.2, 2002

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 23 "Eating Disorders"

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Assessment of Eating Disorders
James E. Mitchell; Carol B. Peterson. Guilford Press, 2005

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Management of Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa: An Evidence-Based Review
Chakraborty, Kaustav; Basu, Debasish. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 52, No. 2, April-June 2010

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The Thin Woman: Feminism, Post-Structuralism, and the Social Psychology of Anorexia Nervosa
Helen Malson. Routledge, 1998

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Self-Harm Behavior and Eating Disorders: Dynamics, Assessment, and Treatment
John L. Levitt Ph. D.; Randy A. Sansone M. D.; Leigh Cohn. Brunner-Routledge, 2004

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In and out of Anorexia: The Story of the Client, the Therapist, and the Process Recovery
Tammie Ronen; Ayelet. Jessica Kingsley, 2001

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Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: How to Help
Marilyn Duker; Roger Slade. Open University Press, 2002

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Am I Thin Enough Yet? The Cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity
Sharlene Hesse-Biber. Oxford University Press, 1997

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 7 "From Disorderly Eating to Eating Disorder: The Cultural Context of Anorexia and Bulimia"

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Conversations with Anorexics
Danita Czyzewski; Hilde Bruch; Melanie A. Suhr. Basic Books, 1988

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Skinny Boy: A Young Man's Battle and Triumph over Anorexia
Gary A. Grahl. American Legacy Media, 2007

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Anorexia

eating disorders

eating disorders

Selected full-text books and articles on this topic at Questia

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