Types of Anorexia

Restricting Type:

During the current episode of illness, the person restricsts food intake and has not regularly engaged in binge eating or purging behaviors.

Binge/Purge:

During the current episode of illness, the person has regularly engaged in binge-eating or purging behaviors (i.e., self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas).

Criteria for Anorexia

• LOW WEIGHT: Refusal to maintain body weight at or above minimally normal weight for age and height (e.g., body weight less than 85% of expected)
• WEIGHT PHOBIA: Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.
• BODY IMAGE ISSUES: Disturbances in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the current low body weight. i.e. believing you are fat when you are not, making your weight the only thing you judge yourself on, denying medical seriousness of your low weight.
• LOSS OF MENSTRUAL PERIOD: (AMENORRHEA) Absence of at least 3 consecutive periods – if periods occur only following hormone administration, it is still considered amenorrhea.