What eating disorder involves starvation and obsession with calorie intake?

UPUMS Nsg.Officer-2024

Mental Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: UPUMS Nsg.Officer-2024

Explanation

Anorexia nervosa is defined by three key features: self-induced starvation, a relentless drive for thinness or an intense fear of gaining weight, and medical signs of starvation.
The core of the disorder is a behavioral pattern of drastically reducing food intake, leading to a significantly low body weight.
Individuals often have a consuming, day-long preoccupation with thoughts about weight, food, and calories, which matches the question's description of 'obsession with calorie intake'.

Option A: Binge eating disorder involves consuming large amounts of food with a sense of loss of control, but it does not involve starvation or the compensatory behaviors seen in anorexia or bulimia.
Option B: Compulsive eating is a broader term, often used interchangeably with binge eating, that describes an uncontrollable urge to eat. It is not characterized by the self-imposed starvation and severe weight loss typical of anorexia.
Option C: Bulimia nervosa involves a cycle of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors (like self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse) to prevent weight gain. Unlike anorexia, individuals with bulimia typically maintain a normal or slightly above-normal body weight and are not characterized by starvation.

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.
Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder due to medical complications from starvation (e.g., cardiac arrhythmias) and a high rate of suicide.
Nurses play a crucial role in monitoring for refeeding syndrome, a potentially fatal complication that can occur when a severely malnourished patient begins to eat again. This requires careful monitoring of electrolytes and fluid balance.
A multidisciplinary team approach involving physicians, dietitians, therapists, and nurses is essential for effective treatment and recovery.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key defining terms in the question stem. In this case, the critical phrases are 'starvation' and 'obsession with calorie intake'.
Next, systematically review the definitions of each option provided.
Evaluate 'Anorexia': Recall that its hallmark is severe restriction of food leading to starvation and an intense fear of weight gain.
Evaluate the other options: 'Binge Eating' and 'Bulimia' involve episodes of overeating, which contradicts the 'starvation' clue.
Match the key terms from the question ('starvation', 'obsession') with the disorder that fits this description. Anorexia is the only option centered on starvation.

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