Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia & Obesity
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What have you observed about persons who suffer from anorexia nervosa, or bulimia, or obesity, with regard to possible biological causes?
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Solution Summary
This solution discusses the signs and symptoms of persons who suffer from anorexia nervosa, bulimia or obesity, with regard to possible biological causes. DSM-IV-TR criteria are provided.
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RESPONSE:
1. What have you observed about persons who suffer from anorexia nervosa, or bulimia, or obesity, with regard to possible biological causes?
The most obvious observation is the person's inability to stop these behaviors through will power. It appears to have a life of its own. For example, the bulimic frequently thinks this practice of bingeing and purging is disgusting but yet still does so in private, making it hard to detect and treat. Also, obesity has been shown to run in families, and often an obese person will want to lose weight, but yet continues to eat excessively; therefore, genetics appears to play a significant role in predisposing a person to developing an eating disorder and obesity. Although there are known psychological aspects to eating disorders and obesity, research has also shown that there is a significant biological component which leads to a manifestation of these disorders (2). (http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/Hirst3.html). However, it is difficult (if not impossible) to determine the exact cause by the observed signs just through observation, and research suggests that there are both psychological and biological contributing factors.
With anorexia nervosa, for example, according to DSM-IV-TR, you would observe the following behaviors that research suggests have both psychological and biological origins:
1. Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height (e.g., weight loss ...
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