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Thought-shape fusion (TSF) is a cognitive distortion that can be induced experimentally and is associated with eating pathology. The current study was conducted in order to elucidate the effects of TSF induction in females with eating disorders (n = 35), as well as in restrained eaters (n = 38) and unrestrained eaters (n = 39). It was hypothesized that TSF induction would result in anxiety, guilt, increased feelings of fatness, perceived weight gain and feelings of moral wrong-doing relative to an anxiety and control induction. It was further hypothesized that restrained eaters and individuals with eating disorders would exhibit a stronger reaction to a TSF induction than would unrestrained eaters. The results indicated that, as predicted, TSF can be induced in individuals both with and without eating disorders, and individuals with eating disorders reported the highest levels of 'state' TSF after the induction relative to the non-clinical controls. However, contrary to expectations, restrained eaters reported higher levels of perceived weight gain and moral wrong-doing after the anxiety induction (but not the TSF induction) relative to the control induction. Potential mechanisms for this pattern of results are discussed, and the clinical implications of research on TSF are also considered. Keywords: Thought-shape fusion; Cognitive distortion; Eating disorders; Dietary restraint

Previous research suggests that eating disorder patients show an attentional bias for body- and food-related information. However, so far little is known about the mechanisms that underlie the attentional favoring of this particular information in eating disorder patients. In the present study, we used both a body and a food visual search task to study speeded detection and increased distraction in eating disorder patients (n = 67) and healthy controls (n = 60). Compared with controls, eating disorder patients showed evidence of speeded detection of body-related information, and increased distraction by food information. These results suggest that the mechanism underlying the biased attentional allocation of eating disorder patients varies, and is dependent upon the type of information they are presented with. Keywords: Attentional bias: Eating disorders; Speeded detection; Increased distraction

We have reviewed the literature on the association between self-injurious behaviors (SIB) and eating disorders from the psychological-behavioral perspective. Our aims were to investigate the extent and possible reasons for the association. A literature search was conducted using the following electronic databases (1989-2005): Medline, PsychInfo and EMBASE. References in identified articles were also screened. The reported occurrence of SIB in eating disorder patients ranged between 25.4% and 55.2%. The figures for occurrence of eating disorders in SIB patients ranged between 54% and 61%. These figures indicate that there is a strong association between these disorders. Impulsivity, obsessive-compulsive characteristics, affect dysregulation, dissociation, self-criticizing cognitive style and need for control were identified as potential factors involved in the association. Early trauma such as childhood sexual abuse and possibly certain characteristics of early family environment might contribute to the development of these factors. We present a hypothetical model which includes these factors and argue that the co-existence of eating disorders and SIB in patients results from several factors being present. SIB and eating disorder symptoms may provide a means whereby patients can deal with each factor simultaneously. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

This article questions the societal and cultural image of Black women as strong and suggests that this seemingly affirming portrayal is derived from a discourse of enslaved women's deviance. In highlighting connections between perceived strength and physical size among Black women, the analysis extends current feminist theory by considering the ways in which the weight many strong African American women carry is reflective of the deviant and devalued womanhood that they are expected to embody both within and outside their culture. Keywords: Black women; body image; feminist theory; Black feminist theory; eating disorders

Obsessive compulsive symptoms and obsessional personality are comorbid with the dieting disorders. Individuals with anorexia nervosa have higher rates of comorbidity for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), than those with bulimia nervosa. In patients with anorexia nervosa, OCPD is premorbid. Mean age of onset for OCD is earlier than that for the eating disorder. Most of the individuals meet criteria for OCD, prior to the diagnosis of an eating disorder.

Eating disorders such as self-induced vomiting and dieting were assessed better by the self-report questionnaires than through investigator-based interviews. Both the interviews and self-report questionnaire methods assessed similarly the frequency of self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives and the severity of dietary restraint. This dissimilarity between the two methods is important for analyzing the effects of treatment and explains the dichotomy between the findings of self-report and the interview method of the binge-eating cases.

Administration of the Stirling Eating Disorder Scales (SEDS), designed to measure cognitions and behaviors in bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa, to 85 patients and a control group shows that it is efficient and provides valid measures. The SEDS consist of an 80-item, eight-scale measure, and can estimate perceived external control, low assertiveness, low self-esteem and self-directed hostility. The SEDS's relevance to anorexia and bulimia and their coverage of eight measures makes them more advantageous than existing scales.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by a pattern of binge eating followed by purging through such means as self-induced vomiting and the use of laxatives. A variety of underlying causes or factors that contribute to the development of this disorder have been proposed. It has been suggested that bulimia is a variant of obsessive-compulsive disorder, a type of affective (mood) disorder, or that it is a distinct condition unrelated to any others. Likewise, a variety of risk factors associated with bulimia have been put forth, including family history of psychiatric disorder, sociocultural pressures that encourage young women to be thin, and psychological and biological interactions regarding eating and hunger. The model for the development of bulimia may be viewed as cyclic, rather than linear, as some of the symptoms actually lead to further progression of the disorder. For example, lack of control on a diet can create anxiety, and ultimately result in binging and purging behavior, which in turn leads to depression, poor self-esteem, and more anxiety. This study reports on the analysis of multiple factors that may contribute to this disorder as it proceeds in a cyclic fashion. The authors analyzed 22 variables relative to the onset of bulimia, medical histories, and a variety of personality variables of 245 patients diagnosed with bulimia nervosa and 68 patients with other eating disorders. A distinct diagnostic classification for bulimia was obtained after the data were analyzed. In addition, six primary and three secondary factors associated with the disorder emerged, which indicate potential complications and divergence of bulimia. It is concluded that bulimia nervosa is a clinical entity, distinct from other disorders, but is also influenced by a wide range of factors. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

The gendered nature of mental health workers' constructions of the eating-disordered self through the psychological construct of identity is examined. The dominant discourses implicated in the feminization of deficient identity are studied.

Television viewing can have negative health effects on children, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. (1) Heavy viewing has been shown to be related to low nutritional knowledge and [...]

Although eating disorders have existed for centuries, anorexia and bulimia were not recognized as psychiatric disorders until 1973 to 1983. In that decade inpatient eating disorder programs, treatment models, and […]