The ugly truth about eating disorders. A case illustration of Anorexia Nervosa

Eating Disorders are behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions. Eating Disorders have become a major health issue in our current society for both men and women. People with eating disorders, in particular those with Anorexia Nervosa, are at high risk in terms of their health and safety. Unfortunately, they have the highest mortality of any psychiatric illness. Mortality rates are over 5 times higher than the general population. Both their physical and suicidal behaviors contribute to this risk. The risk of others is less of a concern. Disturbed eating behaviors such as dietary restriction, episodes of binge eating, excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting and the use of laxatives make it difficult for a person to maintain a healthy body weight and lead to the development of physical and psychological symptoms of nutritional imbalance and starvation. The factors involved in the assessment of risk in people with eating disorders include medical risk, psychological risk, psychosocial risk and insight/capacity and motivation.