Applied Research Analysis of Anorexia, Bulimia, and Eating Disorders

This essay provides an introduction to applied research in the context of eating disorders, specifically focusing on anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, as defined by the DSM-5. It highlights the key characteristics of each disorder, including the inability to maintain a healthy body weight in anorexia and the binge-purge cycle in bulimia. The essay explores the influence of socio-cultural factors, such as societal pressures related to body image, and psychological factors like control, perfectionism, and low self-esteem, which contribute to the development of these disorders. It also discusses the relationship between binge eating disorder and anorexia/bulimia nervosa, differentiating between the two conditions. The references cited support the research and provide further information on the topics discussed. The essay offers a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of eating disorders, including their causes and associated factors.

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO APPLIED RESEARCH
EATING DISORDER ASSIGNMENT
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1INTRODUCTION TO APPLIED RESEARCH
As per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the two major
type of eating disorders are Anorexia nervosa and the Bulimia nervosa. These eating disorders
are now termed as the eating disorders which after development of DSM 5 system, is termed as
the Feeling and eating disorders (Mustelin et al., 2016). Anorexia disorder is the condition in
which affected people are unable to maintain their body weight and improper balance between
their height weight and body mass is observed which leads to distorted body shape. People
affected with this disorder complaints about abdominal pain or constipation to avoid eating and
psychologically avoids eating in public, during mealtime that causes weight loss (Hamatani et
al., 2016). On the other hand, Bulimia nervosa is characterized by severe eating disorder in
which the tendency of binge eating increases and to compensate this, self-induced vomiting is
also observed. Individuals affected with this disorder deliberately uses laxatives, and are unaware
of their excessive weight gains (Lavender et al., 2016).
Several socio-cultural factor can induce the eating disorder in people. Factors such as
cultural custom, life style, environmental condition and socio-economic condition can lead to
eating disorder. Pressure of such socio-cultural factors could lead to excessive stress due to
which the person may develop the eating disorder (Lavender et al., 2016). Further, the stress
associated to thee condition could affect the genesis and management related factors in
individuals affected with eating disorders thereby increasing complication associated with this
(Mustelin et al., 2016). Several traditions, defines thinner and taller body as an ideal body shape
and hence, teenagers, are affected with the custom and due to starving, they become affected
with eating disorders (Hamatani et al., 2016).

2INTRODUCTION TO APPLIED RESEARCH
Binge eating disorder is associated with dieting and resulting weight loss that increases
the tendency of binge eating among people affected with this disorder. Hence, presence of
anorexia nervosa could occur due to the presence of Binge eating disorder (Dakanalis et al.,
2017). On the other hand, people are affected with bulimia nervosa due to a variety of stressors
that could induce them to consume more food under stress and then make them prone to self-
induced vomiting. Therefore, these factors help to differentiate between binge eating disorder
and bulimia nervosa (Lavender et al., 2016).

3INTRODUCTION TO APPLIED RESEARCH
References
Dakanalis, A., Clerici, M., Riva, G., & Carrà, G. (2017). Testing the DSM-5 severity indicator
for bulimia nervosa in a treatment-seeking sample. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies
on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 22(1), 161-167.
Hamatani, S., Tomotake, M., Takeda, T., Kameoka, N., Kawabata, M., Kubo, H., ... & Ohmori,
T. (2016). Impaired social cognition in anorexia nervosa patients. Neuropsychiatric
Disease and Treatment, 12, 2527.
Lavender, J. M., Utzinger, L. M., Cao, L., Wonderlich, S. A., Engel, S. G., Mitchell, J. E., &
Crosby, R. D. (2016). Reciprocal associations between negative affect, binge eating, and
purging in the natural environment in women with bulimia nervosa. Journal of abnormal
psychology, 125(3), 381.
Mustelin, L., Silén, Y., Raevuori, A., Hoek, H. W., Kaprio, J., & Keski-Rahkonen, A. (2016).
The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa may change its population
prevalence and prognostic value. Journal of psychiatric research, 77, 85-91.