Eating disorder

An eating disorder is a mental illness in which a person eats in a way which disturbs their physical health. Overeating is the most common and obvious disorder, and was in the past often attributed to a lack of self-control. Psychologists prefer to class the other syndromes as "mental disorders", going by the mental health model that views the syndrome as caused by something largely outside human will. Seen this way, these disorders are said to "interfere" with normal food consumption and "lead" to serious health problems. Patients diagnosed with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa have a mortality rate of between 5% and 12% per decade (see reference to Agras 2004 in the journal listings below) which is a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness. Among the world's leaders in the treatment of eating disorders is Harry A. Brandt, MD.

Journal references

The following journal references may be difficult to find. Your best hope to finding these is through a library with inter-library loan agreements with a university library or a medical school library.

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• {{Journal reference issue | Author=Agras, W. Steward, MD | Title= The consequences and costs of the eating disorders | Journal= The psychiatric clinics of North America | Volume=24 | Issue=2 | Year=2004 | Pages=371}}: An excellent current article on the consequences of eating disorders, the costs to families and institutions.
• {{Journal reference issue | Author=Crow, S., Praus, B., and Thuras, P. | Title= Mortality from Eating Disorders?A 5- to 10-Year Record Linkage Study | Journal= International journal of eating disorders | Volume=26 | Issue= | Year=1999 | Pages=97}}
• {{Journal reference issue | Author=Crow, S., Nyman, J.| Title= The Cost-Effectiveness of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment | Journal= International journal of eating disorders | Volume=35 | Issue=2 | Year=2004 | Pages=155}}
• {{Journal reference issue | Author=Meads, C., Gold, L., and Burls, A. | Title= How effective is outpatient care compared to inpatient care for the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa? A systemic review | Journal= European eating disorders review | Volume=9 | Issue=4 | Year=2001 | Pages=229}}
• {{Journal reference issue | Author=Zeeck, A., Herzog, T., and Hartman, A. | Title= Day clinic or inpatient care for severe Bulimia Nervosa | Journal= European eating disorders review | Volume=12 | Issue=2 | Year=2004 | Pages=79}}
• {{Journal reference issue | Author=Zipfel, S., et al | Title= Long-term prognosis in anorexia nervosa: Lessons from a 21-year follow-up study | Journal= Lancet (North American Edition) | Volume=355 | Issue=9205 | Year=2000 | Pages=721}} Abstract: In a prospective long-term follow-up of 84 patients 21 years after first hospitalisation for anorexia nervosa, we found that 50.6% had achieved a full recovery, 10.4% still met full diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, and 15.6% had died from causes related to anorexia nervosa. Predictors of outcome included physical, social, and psychological variables.