Evidence in support of attitudes to shape and weight as a diagnostic criterion of bulimia nervosa

✍ Scribed by Garfinkel, Paul E.

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 317 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0276-3478
• DOI: 10.1002/1098-108x(199205)11:4<321::aid-eat2260110405>3.0.co;2-v

✦ Synopsis

DSM-Ill-R provides a persistent overconcern with body shape and weight as a necessary criterion for the diagnosis of bulimia nervosa. This paper provides a theoretical argument in support of retaining this criterion. lnitial empirical studies using a structured interview to assess weight and shape concerns, support the value of this criterion as well.

When

Russell (1979) first proposed diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa he suggested three components: (1) The patients suffer from powerful and intractable urges to overeat; (2) they seek to avoid the fattening effects of food by inducing vomiting, abusing purgatives, or both; and (3) they have a morbid fear of becoming fat. These criteria have undergone various modifications to the most recent, in DSM-111-R (APA, 1987), which involve: (1) Recurrent episodes of binge eating; (2) a feeling of lack of control during the eating binges; (3) behaviors to prevent weight gain; (4) the frequency criterion-an average of two binge episodes per week for at least 3 months; and (5) persistent overconcern with body weight and shape. The earlier DSM-111 (APA, 1980) criteria for bulimia did not include the shape and weight concerns. The advantages to the inclusion of this criterion include: