Developmental Considerations of Anorexia Nervosa and Obesity

The differentiation of the distinct clinical syndrome of anorexia nervosa from atypical cases is based on the following distinguishing features: a relentless pursuit of thinness; an almost delusional disturbance of body image; an inability to correctly identify hunger from other bodily or tension states; a lack of an identity awareness; and a paralyzing sense of ineffectiveness. This sense of ineffectiveness, pervasive of all thought and action, is connected with the perception of the self as acting only in response to the demands of others and is camouflaged by negativism and defiance. The core developmental issues of being unable to experience the control over one's own body and of lacking the conviction of living one's own life are based on the severe deficits in autonomy and initiative, originating from the distortion and mislabeling of feelings, sensation and moods in early childhood. The treatment process focuses on evoking awareness in these patients of their impulses, feelings and needs as originating within themselves as an essential step in the development of a sense of competence and self-esteem.