Eating disorders are relatively rare among the general population. This review discusses the literature on the incidence, prevalence and mortality rates of eating disorders. We searched online Medline/Pubmed, Embase and PsycINFO databases for articles published in English using several keyterms relating to eating disorders and epidemiology. Anorexia nervosa is relatively common among young wome...

BACKGROUND To investigate the association of anorexia nervosa with anxiety disorders through use of a case-control family study design. METHOD Lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive personality disorder was determined among 574 first-degree relatives of 152 probands with anorexia nervosa and compared to rates observed among 647 first-degree relatives of 181 never-il...

OBJECTIVES Previous studies have explored differences in psychosocial and familial factors between women who develop anorexia nervosa and those who do not. However, these studies have generally used between-group comparisons. This study looks at the environmental factors which may be antecedents of anorexia nervosa looking at sister pairs where one had anorexia nervosa and the other did not. ...

BACKGROUND Although the stigma of eating disorders such as anorexia has been well established, little is known about the social consequences of "clean dieting" and orthorexia nervosa. In two studies, we examined the social stigma of clean dieting and orthorexia. METHOD In Study 1, participants read a vignette describing a woman following a "clean" diet, a woman with anorexia, or a control tar...

BACKGROUND Very limited evidence is available on how to treat adults with anorexia nervosa and treatment outcomes are poor. Novel treatment approaches are urgently needed. AIMS To evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of a novel psychological therapy for anorexia nervosa (Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults, MANTRA) compared with specialist supportive clinical management...

OBJECTIVES This chapter reviews brain imaging findings in anorexia and bulimia nervosa which characterize brain circuitry that may contribute to the pathophysiology of eating disorders (EDs). SUMMARY OF RECENT FINDINGS Recent imaging studies provide evidence of disturbed gustatory processing in EDs which involve the anterior insula as well as striatal regions. These results raise the possibil...

The prevalence, causes, and consequences of hypophosphataemia in the clinical treatment of various diseases are described in the literature, but are not so seriously regarded as a severe electrolytical disturbance. The clinical conditions when hypophosphataemia should be suspected are listed in fig 1. There is a triad of disturbances: hypokalaemia, hypomagnesaemia, and hypophosphataemia which o...

Anorexia nervosa is a chronic illness characterized by a severe loss of weight. It occurs in children and young adults and is seen more frequently in females. Some anorexic patients refuse to eat totally, while others may practice "binge eating." Patients who binge eat and employ postprandial purging are referred to as "bulimic." Anorexia nervosa and bulimia can produce multisystem abnormalitie...