AIIMS Raipur NO - 201…: Psychological eating disorder in which there is an intense fear of becoming obese?

AIIMS Raipur NO - 2019 (Shift-2)

Mental Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: AIIMS Raipur NO - 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

Anorexia nervosa is fundamentally characterized by a morbid and intense fear of becoming fat or gaining weight.
This psychopathological fear drives the primary behavior of the disorder: self-induced starvation and significant restriction of food intake.
Individuals with anorexia nervosa often have a distorted body image, perceiving themselves as overweight even when severely underweight.
The diagnosis involves three core criteria: behavioral (self-induced starvation), psychopathological (drive for thinness/fear of fatness), and physiological (medical signs of starvation).

Option A: Bulimia nervosa's primary feature is recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors (like vomiting or laxative abuse). While individuals fear weight gain, they are typically of normal or above-normal weight, unlike the severe underweight status in anorexia.
Option C: Pica is an eating disorder characterized by the persistent consumption of non-nutritive, non-food substances (e.g., dirt, paint chips, clay). It is not related to a fear of obesity or body weight concerns.
Option D: Dieting is a behavior, not a formal psychiatric diagnosis. While it involves restricting food intake to lose weight, it does not typically involve the pathological fear, distorted body image, and severity seen in anorexia nervosa.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Differentiating features of common eating disorders as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a critical role in managing patients with anorexia nervosa by monitoring for refeeding syndrome, a life-threatening shift in fluids and electrolytes that can occur when re-feeding a malnourished patient. Key signs include fluid-balance abnormalities, electrolyte derangements (hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia), and cardiac complications.
A multidisciplinary approach involving physicians, dietitians, psychotherapists, and nurses is essential for successful treatment. The nurse often coordinates care and provides crucial emotional support.
Patient safety is paramount. This includes creating a supportive, non-judgmental environment during supervised meals and monitoring for any signs of purging or hiding food.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key phrases in the question stem: 'psychological eating disorder,' 'intense fear,' and 'becoming obese.' These are the defining characteristics you need to match.
Next, systematically review each option and recall its core definition.
Define Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by severe food restriction, low body weight, and an intense fear of gaining weight.
Define Bulimia Nervosa: Characterized by binge-purge cycles, with body weight usually being normal or high.
Define Pica: Characterized by eating non-food items.
Define Dieting: A behavior, not a disorder.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) pp. 1496-1498, 1503-1505