Abnormal Psych
A Closer Look at Anorexia Nervosa
Lyndsey Miller
Abnormal Psychology
October 28, 2014
Transylvania University
According to the DSM 5, a person that is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa must display the following things; a persistent restriction of energy intake leading to significantly low body weight (in context of what is minimally expected for age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health.) (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) They also must display either an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain (even though they have significantly low weight.) Finally, a person diagnosed with anorexia nervosa must have some kind of disturbance in the way their body weight or shape is experienced, the person’s view of body shape and weight when they self-evaluate is negative, or a persistent lack of recognition of the seriousness of their current body weight. (National Eating Disorder Collaboration, 2011) Anorexia Nervosa is a disease that is categorized in the DSM 5 under the Feeding and Eating disorders section. (APA, 2013) There have been some changes in the updated version of the DSM when it comes to anorexia and other eating disorders. The changes for Feeding and eating Disorders in the 5th edition of the DSM include several changes to better represent the symptoms and behaviors of patients dealing with the conditions of the eating disorder across a timeline of their lifespan. One change that occurred in the DSM 5 is as stated, “Criterion A focuses on behaviors, like restricting calorie intake, and no longer includes the word “refusal” in terms of weight maintenance since that implies intention on the part of the patient and can be difficult to assess.” (APA, 2013) Revisions to the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa took place between the DSM- IV and DSM 5. According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), approximately
Lyndsey Miller
Abnormal Psychology
October 28, 2014
Transylvania University
According to the DSM 5, a person that is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa must display the following things; a persistent restriction of energy intake leading to significantly low body weight (in context of what is minimally expected for age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health.) (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) They also must display either an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain (even though they have significantly low weight.) Finally, a person diagnosed with anorexia nervosa must have some kind of disturbance in the way their body weight or shape is experienced, the person’s view of body shape and weight when they self-evaluate is negative, or a persistent lack of recognition of the seriousness of their current body weight. (National Eating Disorder Collaboration, 2011) Anorexia Nervosa is a disease that is categorized in the DSM 5 under the Feeding and Eating disorders section. (APA, 2013) There have been some changes in the updated version of the DSM when it comes to anorexia and other eating disorders. The changes for Feeding and eating Disorders in the 5th edition of the DSM include several changes to better represent the symptoms and behaviors of patients dealing with the conditions of the eating disorder across a timeline of their lifespan. One change that occurred in the DSM 5 is as stated, “Criterion A focuses on behaviors, like restricting calorie intake, and no longer includes the word “refusal” in terms of weight maintenance since that implies intention on the part of the patient and can be difficult to assess.” (APA, 2013) Revisions to the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa took place between the DSM- IV and DSM 5. According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), approximately
References: American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: A.D.A.M Psych Central. (2014). Anorexia (Anorexia Nervosa) Symptoms. Psych Central. Retrieved on October 28, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/disorders/anorexia- anorexia-nervosa-symptoms/ Segal, J., Smith, M