psychiatric disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Introduction
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a relentless pursuit of thinness, a morbid fear of obesity, a distorted body image, and restriction of intake relative to requirements, leading to a significantly low body weight. Diagnosis is clinical. Most treatment is with some form of psychologic and behavioral therapy. Involvement of the family is crucial to the care of younger patients.Olanzapinemay help with weight gain. (See also Introduction to Eating Disorders .) Anorexia nervosa occurs predominantly in girls and young women. Onset is usually during adolescence and rarely after age 40. Two types of anorexia nervosa are recognized: Restricting type:Patients restrict food intake but do not regularly engage in binge eating or purging behavior; some patients exercise excessively. Binge eating/purging type:Patients regularly binge eat and/or induce vomiting and/or misuse laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. Binges are defined as consumption of a much larger amount of food than most people would eat in a similar time period under similar circumstances with loss of control, ie, perceived inability to resist or stop eating. 