Chapter 38: Care of people with eating disorders

1. Figures for bulimia are 1% although bulimia is rare under 12 with an average onset of ___ compared to ___ years for anorexia.

Answer: Figures for bulimia are 1% although bulimia is rare under 12 with an average onset of 15-18 years compared to 15 years for anorexia.

2. The most recent statistics demonstrate that 20% of anorexia nervosa sufferers will ____ _____ 46% will fully recover, 33% improve and 20% ___ ___ ____

Answer: The most recent statistics demonstrate that 20% of anorexia nervosa sufferers will die prematurely, 46% will fully recover, 33% improve and 20% remain chronically ill.

3. What physiological conditions are associated with eating disorders?

Answer: There are a range, including osteoporosis, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal abnormalities. There I also a higher than average incidence of fibromyalgia in those diagnoses with an eating disorder

4. What are the usual reasons for Drop-out' from an eating disorder treatment programme?

Answer: Lack of engagement or motivation to engage with treatment

5. What is the definition of Compliance with Treatment?

Answer: Compliance is defined as: ‘The extent to which the service user’s behaviour matches the prescriber’s recommendations.’ However, the use of this term is declining as it implies lack of service user involvement. 'Concordance' is predominantly used to describe the situation where the worker and the service user agree therapeutic decisions that incorporate their respective views.

6. What is the Maudsley Approach?

Answer: The Maudsley Approach is not family therapy as such but is a family-based treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa which integrates principles and skills from many of the major schools of family therapy and is suitable for adolescents where there is less than three years duration of anorexia nervosa (Maudsley Parents 2013)

7. What is ‘re-feeding syndrome’?

Answer: Refeeding syndrome is a syndrome consisting of metabolic disturbances that occur as a result of reinstitution of nutrition to patients who are starved, severely malnourished or metabolically stressed due to severe illness.