Pattern of birth in restrictive and bulimic eating disorders

Objective: To determine whether different eating disorders are associated with being born at different points in the year. Based on previous research, it was hypothesised that being born during warm months (June–August) is likely to be associated with restrictive anorexia, rather than bulimic disorders (bulimia nervosa, binge-purge anorexia). Method: Case notes from 105 eating-disordered women were used to yield dates of birth and diagnosis. Associations were calculated between diagnostic group and birth period (month, quarter of year, high-risk quarter). Results: Restrictive anorexics were significantly more likely than the bulimics (42.6% vs. 24.1%) to be born during the warmest quarter (June–August) than during the remainder of the year. Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that being born during warmer periods may form a small risk factor for the development of a restrictive eating disorder. Further research is suggested to test and extend the hypothesis.     

成都市区1486名女性大、中学生进食障碍的 现况调查

目的 探讨女性大、中学生进食障碍的患病率及其相关因素.方法 采用最优分配分层整群随机抽样法从成都市区抽取大学6所、普通高中1所、普通中专1所、成人中专2所、职业高中1所、初中3所,共1486名女性大、中学生,采用进食障碍问卷、体像障碍量表、抑郁自评量表、贝克焦虑自评量表、自编调查问卷进行现场调查.采用t检验和logistic回归分析数据.结果 成都市女性大、中学生进食障碍估计患病率3.32%;各年龄组中17岁组估计患病率最高(7.16%);各学龄阶段中高中组最高(5.21%).进食障碍倾向组在认识偏差(P=0.009)、期望偏差(P=0.000)方面均比非进食障碍倾向组得分高.关注减肥相关媒体宣传、童年时父母关系紧张、童年时受虐待、进食障碍问卷的不满体型因子、内感受意识因子及焦虑是进食障碍倾向的相关危险因素.结论 进食障碍在女性大、中学生中估计患病率较高,应积极干预.     

病理性完美主义与进食障碍

本文在回顾了完美主义的定义、维度、测量工具的基础上，总结了完美主义与进食障碍关系的研究成果，并尝试从病理心理学意义的角度来理解两者的关系。     

The Role of Ghrelin,Salivary Secretions,and Dental Care in Eating Disorders

Eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia nervosa, are potentially life-threatening syndromes characterized by severe disturbances in eating behavior. An effective treatment strategy for these conditions remains to be established, as patients with eating disorders tend to suffer from multiple relapses. Because ghrelin was originally discovered in the stomach mucosa, it has been widely studied over the past decade in an effort to uncover its potential roles; these studies have shed light on the mechanism by which ghrelin regulates food intake. Thus, studying ghrelin in the context of eating disorders could improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of eating disorders, possibly resulting in a promising new pharmacological treatment strategy for these patients. In addition, early detection and treatment of eating disorders are critical for ensuring recovery of young patients. Oral symptoms, including mucosal, dental, and saliva abnormalities, are typically observed in the early stages of eating disorders. Although oral care is not directly related to the treatment of eating disorders, knowledge of the oral manifestations of eating disorder patients may aid in early detection, resulting in earlier treatment; thus, oral care might contribute to overall patient management and prognosis. Moreover, ghrelin has also been found in saliva, which may be responsible for oral hygiene and digestion-related functions. This review discusses the pharmacological potential of ghrelin in regulating food-intake and the role of saliva and oral care in young patients with eating disorders.     

Plasma homocysteine levels in female patients with eating disorders

OBJECTIVE: To examine plasma homocysteine, vitamin B(12), and folate levels in females with restricting and bingeing/purging eating disorders (EDs). METHOD: Adolescent and adult female patients were compared to appropriate control groups with regard to plasma homocysteine levels. RESULTS: The plasma homocysteine level of the adult ED patients was higher than that of controls for all age groups examined. In adolescents, no significant difference was found comparing ED patients younger than 16 years of age to control data, whereas in the 16-20 year age group, the plasma homocysteine level was significantly higher among the ED group, regardless of the type of ED. Vitamin B(12) and folate levels were within normal limits in all ED groups. CONCLUSION: Elevated plasma homocysteine levels were found in adult and older adolescent female ED patients (but not in younger adolescents) compared to controls. This finding is not related to deficiencies in vitamin B(12) or folate.     

Regional cerebral blood flow after recovery from anorexia or bulimia nervosa

OBJECTIVE: Abnormalities of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) have been found in individuals who are ill with anorexia (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN). Little is known about whether rCBF normalizes after recovery from AN and BN. METHOD: Eighteen control women (CW), 10 recovered restricting type AN, 8 recovered AN with a binging history, and 9 recovered BN participants without a history of AN were studied using positron emission tomography and [(15)O]water in order to assess rCBF. RESULTS: Partial volume corrected rCBF values in cortical and subcortical brain regions were similar between groups. Neither current body mass index nor age correlated with rCBF values. CONCLUSION: The results from this study indicate that rCBF normalizes with long-term recovery. Thus, altered rCBF is unlikely to confound functional imaging studies in AN or BN after recovery.     

High prevalence of abnormal eating and weight control practices among U.S. high-school students

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine the prevalence and to identify correlates of abnormal eating and weight control practices in U.S. high-school students. METHOD: A three-stage cluster design technique was used to select 15,349 students from 144 different high schools. Each completed the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Questionnaire. RESULTS: Abnormal eating and weight control practices during the past month were reported by over 26% of female students and 10% of male students. Rates of abnormal eating and weight control practices varied by ethnicity and geographic location. Other correlates of abnormal eating and weight control practices included having an underweight body mass index (BMI): (OR=1.39, 95% CI=1.01-1.91), exercising to control weight in past 30 days (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.30-1.76), dieting to control weight in past 30 days (OR=3.89, 95% CI=2.65-5.73), and interactions between gender and both weight perception and weight satisfaction. DISCUSSION: The high proportion of U.S. high-school students who have participated in abnormal eating and weight control practices in the past month demands immediate attention. The identified correlates may help target prevention and control programs.     

Relationship between EDNOS and its subtypes and borderline personality disorder

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) and four well-defined subtypes of this disorder found in a sample of female borderline patients. METHOD: The lifetime prevalence of EDNOS and its various subtypes among 233 female borderline patients and 46 female Axis II comparison subjects was assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Axis I disorders. RESULTS: Thirty-three percent of female borderline patients met DSM-III-R criteria for EDNOS at some point in their lives. Of these 76 women, 20% reported a pattern of restricting without low weight, 37% reported a pattern of binging without purging, 37% reported a pattern of purging without binging, and 33% reported a pattern of low weight without loss of menses. However, less than 25% of these 76 borderline women had ever met criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that EDNOS is a separate cluster of eating disorders among borderline women, rather than a prodromal or residual form of a more clear-cut case of anorexia or bulimia nervosa.