The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health is the main tool for mental health professionals when diagnosing and treating patients with mental illness. The latest edition, known as DSM-V, included binge eating as a formal diagnosis, rather than its previous categorization as an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. A recent global study finds that…
Chances are, the first time you heard the term “thigh gap” it was from someone warning you not to worry about having one. In this world of lightening-fast information dissemination, it can be nearly impossible to trace the course of a term, idea, image, etc., that has gone “viral.” But all to often, it seems…
The American Psychiatric Association’s latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which was published in May 2013, includes several disorders and syndromes that were not recognized as real mental illnesses in the past. One of these newly recognized conditions is avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder —which is more commonly known as…
For the first time, with the release of the DSM V, binge eating disorder has been recognized as a legitimate and diagnosable mental condition. This move to include binge eating disorder is a significant step for helping both the medical profession and the general public to understand that eating disorders fall along a spectrum in…
What is the most prevalent eating disorder that most people have never heard of? Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) is the catchall, eating disorders grab-bag category for those who do not fit the traditional criteria for anorexia or bulimia. What eating disorder research has revealed is that an individual who does not meet the…
Anorexia and bulimia are the two most well known eating disorders in the U.S., and until 2013 they were the only two eating disorders recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. For a long time, doctors and researchers have tried—with only partial success—to uncover the underlying causes for the onset of anorexic and bulimic eating behaviors.…
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a form of therapy originally developed to address the symptoms of the mood disorder called major depression. Practitioners of this therapy view interpersonal difficulties as one of the primary sources of mental health issues, and work with patients to improve four areas of interpersonal function. Current evidence supports the use of…
Body image distortion is a term that mental health professionals use to describe a significantly inaccurate self-perception of your body size and shape. People with distorted body images have increased risks for developing an eating disorder. According to the results of a study published in 2011 in the journal NeuroImage, individuals affected by the eating…
Eating disorders are a collection of mental health conditions characterized by a dysfunctional relationship between eating habits, body image and the beauty ideals of mainstream society. Two factors known to contribute to the development of these disorders are a negative attitude toward one’s body shape and size (body dissatisfaction) and an inability to accurately judge…
Body image is a term used to describe the way you perceive the shape and size of your body in relation to others. People with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa have heavily distorted body images that cause them to seriously misperceive themselves as overweight or fat, even when they are in fact thin or dangerously…
