Defining Eating Disorders and Effective Treatment Options
Kate Savage
Eating disorders are characterized in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5-TR), as a severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions (DSM, 2022). There are seven identifiable eating disorders – Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders, Pica, and Rumination Disorder. Each type of eating disorder has specific characteristics and may only be diagnosed by a medical or mental health practitioner. Eating disorders typically develop in adolescence and early adulthood. Additionally, several types of eating disorders usually affect women more than men. However, eating disorders can impact any gender. Eating disorders...
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