Characteristics of 275 patients with bulimia
American Journal of PsychiatryPublished 1 April 1985
John C. Mitchell, Dorothy K. Hatsukami, Elke D. Eckert, Richard L. Pyle
Citations436
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score5.27
SNIP3.68
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TL;DR
Patients who met DSM-III criteria for bulimia reported a variety of abnormal eating-related behaviors: binge eating, self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretic abuse, and chewing and spitting out food.
Abstract
The authors present data on 275 patients who met DSM-III criteria for bulimia. The mean age of the patients was 24.8 years, and the average duration of illness was approximately 7 years. These patients reported a variety of abnormal eating-related behaviors: binge eating (100%), self-induced vomiting (88.1%), laxative abuse (60.6%), diuretic abuse (33.1%), and chewing and spitting out food (64.5%). Over one-third reported a history of problems with alcohol or other drugs and most indicated substantial social impairment.
Keywords
PsychologyMedicine
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1,793 Citations1979Gerald Russell
The main aims of treatment are to interrupt the vicious circle of overeating and self-induced vomiting (or purging), and to persuade the patients to accept a higher weight.
Psychological MedicineBinge-eating and vomiting: a survey of a college population
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The results suggest that self-induced vomiting is not a necessary symptom for diagnosis of bulimia, and a significant relationship between laxative use and self- induced vomiting was detected.
PubMedBulimia: a report of 34 cases.
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It is difficult to set up strict criteria for the recognition of bulimia, but a number of factors appeared to be common to all with the complaint.
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Results indicated that the bulimics experienced significantly more dysphoric and fluctuating moods than normal controls and that they spent much more time alone and in food‐related behavior than the control group.
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328 Citations1983Richard L. Pyle, James E. Mitchell +4 more
BMJSelf-induced vomiting and bulimia nervosa: an undetected problem.
285 Citations1982Christopher G. Fairburn, Peter Cooper
The secrecy that surrounds bulimia nervosa is highlighted and it is suggested that it is an important undetected source of psychiatric morbidity.
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225 Citations1983Peter Cooper, Christopher G. Fairburn
Binge-eating and self-induced vomiting were strongly associated with disturbed attitudes to food, eating, body weight and shape; and with psychiatric disturbance.
International Journal of Eating DisordersBulimia: A descriptive survey of 316 cases
223 Citations1982Craig L. Johnson, Marilyn Stuckey +2 more
Most of the women surveyed were binge eating and using evacuation techniques such as self-induced vomiting on a daily to more than daily basis and had engaged in this behavior for 51/2 years despite the severity of the disturbed eating behavior.
Psychosomatic MedicinePsychological and Behavioral Characteristics of Normal-Weight Bulimics and Normal-Weight Controls
162 Citations1983Sandra Raynes Weiss, Michael H. Ebert
There were significantly more suicide attempts, psychiatric hospitalizations, episodes of stealing, use of drugs, and menstrual disturbances among the bulimics than the controls.
Psychological MedicineElectrolyte and other physiological abnormalities in patients with bulimia
121 Citations1983James E. Mitchell, Richard L. Pyle +3 more
Electrolyte abnormalities were found in 82 of the 168 patients who were diagnosed as having either bulimia or atypical eating disorder, and an elevated serum amylase level was found to be associated with frequent binge-eating and vomiting behaviour.
Addictive BehaviorsSimilarities and differences on the MMPI between women with bulimia and women with alcohol or drug abuse problems
118 Citations1982Dorothy K. Hatsukami, Patricia Owen +2 more
This study compared the MMPI MacAndrew Scale, mean profile, mean scale scores, and codetypes of women with bulimia and women with alcohol or drug abuse problems to find that mean M MPI profiles and distribution of MMPi codetype were similar between these two groups.
Annals of Internal MedicineBenign Parotid Enlargement in Bulimia
107 Citations1980Philip Levin, JAMES M. FALKO +3 more
Seven young women withBulimia and associated benign bilateral painless parotid enlargement are described and the clinician should be alerted to the association of benign parotids enlargement with this syndrome.
PubMedMetabolic and endocrine investigations in women of normal weight with the bulimia syndrome.
70 Citations1983Judith E. Mitchell, John P. Bantle
Metabolic and endocrine investigations in six bulimic subjects of normal weight are reported, and two subjects were found to have a hypokalimic metabolic alkalosis, presumably due to vomiting.
The British Journal of PsychiatryBinge Eating and Its Management
39 Citations1982Christopher G. Fairburn
The term bulimia nervosa is probably the most satisfactory since it conveys the links with anorexia nervosa and emphasises the central role of binge-eating.