Replies to 'Anorexia'

Quote From: anahanabun

There is no such thing as a "300 lb. anorectic"
Here's the DSM-lV criteria: verbatim!

"we must look at the specific guidelines for diagnosing anorexia nervosa found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual vol. IV (DSM-IV). In 1995, DSM-IV set out four new criteria for doctors and psychiatrists to use in classifying a patient as anorexic. (4) First, the patient refuses to maintain a minimally normal body weight, or her body weight has dropped below 85% of weight considered normal for a patient's age and height(THIS TRANSLATES TO A 17.5 BMI OR BELOW. DO THE MATH.). This low body weight must be found in combination with a ritualistic monitoring and limiting of food intake (Diagnosing Eating Disorders, 1995). Second, the patient must exhibit intense fear of gaining weight, with concern about weight often increasing as weight decreases. The third criterion is that there is significant body image distortion in reference to body size or shape. For instance, despite the fact that the anorectic might be twenty pounds under weight, she still believes her body is overweight and literally sees her body as fat. Fourth, DSM-IV explains that anorectics are amenorrhea-ic (i.e., absence of menstrual cycle). If a patient does not fit all of the above criteria, she cannot be clinically diagnosed as an anorectic. (5)

Currently, the only way for a patient to be diagnosed with anorexia is if the patient meets all four of the criteria set out in the DSM-IV.
Although the DSM-IV is a book used to diagnose psychological disorders, it is used by other medical professionals, including general practitioners. In fact, medical students are taught the DSM-IV guidelines in medical school. "