Anorexia Nervosa in the Congenitally Blind: Theoretical Considerations

Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Body Image Disturbance in a Congenitally Blind Patient With Anorexia Nervosa

“…The finding that a nonsighted eating disorder patient exhibited such great preoccupation with body image is unexpected given previous case reports suggesting that body image concerns may not be central to eating pathology among blind individuals (6,9). Nonetheless, our findings are consistent with a small number of case reports that have reported cognitive-behavioral manifestations of body image disturbance, such as body checking (3,5) and avoidance (3) in nonsighted patients, and build on previous reports by identifying additional theoretically observable signs, such as attempted mirror checking, and self-reported symptoms, such as body-related comparisons.…”

“…A fte r o n se t, h e r e a tin g d iso rd e r w a s c h a ra c te riz e d p rim a rily b y c h ro n ic fo o d re stric tio n , lo w w e ig h t, a n d irre g u la r m e n se s. S h e d e n ie d a h isto ry o f b in g e e a tin g , se lf-in d u c e d v o m itin g , o r d iu re tic a b u se , a lth o u g h sh e h a d ta k e n la x a tiv e s to fac ilita te p u rg in g o n a fe w o c c a sio n s. M s. A a lso p re se n te d w ith c o m o rb id o b se ssiv e -c o m p u lsiv e d iso rd e r (O C D )c h a ra c te riz e d b y e x c e ssiv e h a n d w a sh in g a n d n e e d fo r Fro m th e K la rm a n E a tin g D iso rd e rs C e n te r, M c L e a n H o sp ita l C o g n itiv e -B e h a v io ra l Tre a tm e n t o f B o d y Im a g e D istu rb a n c e in a C o n g e n ita lly B lin d P a tie n t W ith A n o re x ia N e rv o sa Fewer than 10 published case reports have described the development of anorexia nervosa (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8) or bulimia nervosa (9) in blind persons, and some of these explicitly deemphasized the centrality of body image disturbance in the etiology and maintenance of eating disorders in the nonsighted (6,9). S h e re p o rte d th a t h e r e a tin g d iso rd e r sy m p to m s h a d b e g u n a t a g e 9 , a lth o u g h sh e d id n o t rec e iv e fo rm a l tre a tm e n t u n til sh e w a s 1 4 .…”

Body image dissatisfaction and eating attitudes in visually impaired women

“…The past 15 years have only resulted in the publication of a handful of such cases (see Bemporad, Hoffman, & Herzog, 1989 for a review), which have been interpreted in two ways. The past 15 years have only resulted in the publication of a handful of such cases (see Bemporad, Hoffman, & Herzog, 1989 for a review), which have been interpreted in two ways.…”

A case report of Usher's syndrome and anorexia nervosa

“…In the case of a patient in whom anorexia nervosa has developed from chronic disabilities, it is especially relevant. Bemporad, Hoffman, and Herzog (1989) have found that anorexia and blindness have a particularly poor prognosis. With the added complication of deafness or any other chronic disability, it is important to focus on the factors which contribute to a poor prognosis.…”