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11 - Bingeing and bulimia nervosa in children and adolescents

from Part III - Abnormal states

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2009

Brett McDermott
By
Leora Pinhas ,
Debra K. Katzman ,
Gina Dimitropoulos  and
D. Blake Woodside
Edited by
Tony Jaffa
Brett McDermott
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
Leora Pinhas
Affiliation:
Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
Debra K. Katzman
Affiliation:
Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
Gina Dimitropoulos
Affiliation:
Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
D. Blake Woodside
Affiliation:
Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
Tony Jaffa
Affiliation:
Phoenix Centre, Cambridge
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Summary

Introduction

The identification of children and adolescents with bulimia nervosa (BN) or syndromes including binge-eating has been an area of development in recent years.

This chapter will review this increasingly important area, providing an overview of the nature of these phenomena, risk factors for their development and the medical complications of these disorders.

Definition

Bulimia nervosa was first described by Russell in 1979, appearing in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual–III (DSM–III) in 1980. The current diagnostic criteria found in DSM–IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) include recurrent episodes of binge eating characterized by eating in a discrete period of time (2 hours or less) an amount that is larger than most people would eat under similar circumstances; a sense of loss of control over eating during a binge episode; as well as, recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviours in order to prevent weight gain. These compensatory behaviours can include self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics and other medications, fasting or excessive exercise. The binges and inappropriate compensatory behaviours must occur on average and least twice a week for 3 months. Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight, and the disturbance does not occur during episodes of anorexia nervosa (AN). Bulimia nervosa is typed as either purging, where self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics and enemas are part of the presentation and non-purging, where these compensatory behaviours do not regularly occur and are replaced by behaviours such as exercising and fasting.

Keywords

adolescentsbinge eating disorderbulimia nervosacardiovascular complicationschildrengastrointestinal complications
Type
Chapter
Information
Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents , pp. 133 - 143
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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