Eating disorders - anorexia as an interdisciplinary problem
Martyna Wójcik2019
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Abstract
Eating disorders are a serious medical and social problems. The most commonly recognized eating disorders are anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa, now classified as a behavioral disorders. Anorexia nervosa is a disease involving intentional body weight reduction, distorted body image and the dysmorphophobia, often with concomitant depression and social withdrawal. Understanding anorexia is not only limited to a food or a body weight. Underlying disorders include: emotional issues, undetermined identity, a negative self-image, etc. AN has a reported prevalence in woman of 0,5-1%, and 0.05-0.1% in men. Prevalence rate among polish girls under 18 years old is 0.8%-1.8%. 113 The etiology of this disorder is multifactorial and unclear. The predisposing factors include: genetic factors, personality disorders, specific family patterns (overprotection, avoiding conflicts) and high economic status. Diagnosis of AN is a challenge. Symptomatology is variable, including: behavior changes, psychological and somatic symptoms, specific biochemical and hormonal abnormalities. A treatment is multidisciplinary and multi-stage, comprising: (1) the life saving therapy (prevention of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and cachexia), (2) restoration of normal body weight, (3) adjuvant pharmacotherapy, (4) psychotherapy. The efficacy of treatment is unsatisfactory. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental disorders: after 15-20 years the mortality prevalence rate is 19-20%, mainly as a result of cardiovascular complications and suicides.
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