‘Dieters’ and ‘vomiters and purgers’ in anorexia nervosa

Abstract

SynopsisThirty-one females with primary anorexia nervosa were studied by means of a retrospective analysis of hospital notes. The patients were divided into 2 groups. The first group consisted of subjects who had become emaciated solely because of dieting, food refusal and excessive exercising (‘dieters’); the second of those who had used additional means to bring about weight loss such, as habitual vomiting and the abuse of purgatives (‘vomiters and purgers’).Most ‘dieters’ were intense, introverted, socially withdrawn individuals whose anorexic behaviour had started in response to psychological stress. They had become completely preoccupied with thoughts of food, eating and losing weight. Several did well in treatment, and recovered fully from their anorexic symptoms. ‘Vomiters and purgers’, on the other hand, were more outgoing in respect to personality. Most had previously been obese and, as they had been unable to keep themselves thin by simply abstaining from food, they had learnt to use other means to control their weight. These latter patients did less well in treatment. They continued to experience difficulty in controlling their weight, and the majority persisted with their abnormal behaviour.

Follow-up studies of anorexia nervosa: a review of research findings

“…Higher rates of normalization are reported by Meyer (1961), Farquharson & Hyland (1966), Goetz et al (1977) and Ziolko (1978). Bhanji & Thompson (1974), Beumont et al (1976) and Petzold (1979) all present lower figures. Inspection of the studies reveals further that the higher rates are associated with longer follow-up periods, and the lower percentages with shorter periods.…”

“…Similar differences, ranging from 3% to 83%, are reported for the frequency of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and personality traits associated with anorexia nervosa. Sturzenberger et al (1977), Cantwell et al (1977), Beumont et al (1976) and Meyer (1961) all furnish high estimates, while the lowest come again from Dally & Sargant (1966) and Kay (1953).…”

Neuropsychological study of underweight and “weight‐recovered” anorexia nervosa compared with bulimia nervosa and normal controls

“…But individual patients may suffer with differing subtypes during the course of their illness. [89][90][91][92] While the impact of DSM-IV AN typology on attention, memory and psychomotor functioning is not known, this study did not specifically explore this, in order to maximize the study's power and limit type II errors.…”

Abnormal eating attitudes and weight-loss behaviour of adolescent girls attending a “traditional” Jewish high school in Johannesburg, South Africa

“…2,[6][7][8] The relationship between religion and eating disorders is also not to be underestimated, given its complexity. 9,10 The existence of eating disorders and abnormal eating attitudes in South Africa are well established in adolescents of culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds, [11][12][13][14][15] although the prevalence thereof is currently unknown. 16 International studies have found disturbances of this nature to be more prevalent in Jewish adolescent girls and women than in their non-Jewish counterparts.…”