Eating Disorders

The feeding and eating disorders encompass anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, pica, and rumination disorder. All are associated with significant impairments of physical health and psychosocial functioning. The neurobiology underlying these disorders is under study. Risk factors have been identified. The clinical manifestations of eating disorders are protean, can be caused directly or indirectly by the eating disorder, and can vary in severity to include potentially fatal outcomes. Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy are most effective for bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. Severely underweight patients with anorexia nervosa may require inpatient medical monitoring and supervised nutritional rehabilitation.