Eating disorders - L.K. George Hsu

Setting the stage for the chapters that follow, the book opens with a review of the historical development of the concepts of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The manner in which the disorders relate to each other, to simple dieting, and to affective disorders is examined. In the chapters that review clinical features, epidemiology, and etiological findings, Hsu persuasively argues against the notion of body image disturbance, and contends instead that simple dieting and eating disorders occur on a behavioral continuum. He demonstrates that when dieting is accompanied by certain risk factors and intensified by certain adolescent issues, it provides an entree to an eating disorder.
With a particular focus on adolescent patients, Hsu then describes the evaluation process and treatment alternatives. He explicates the current diagnostic criteria of the disorders and advocates the adoption of a flexible, eclectic approach that is guided by common sense and the available empirical data. To provide an illuminating perspective for assessing treatment efforts, a review of outcome data and a discussion of the nosology of the disorders are presented. The final chapter summarizes the implications of the volume, both for primary prevention and for future research on the eating disorders.
An ideal clinical resource, especially for those who treat adolescent patients, EATING DISORDERS will be of value to psychologists, psychiatrists, and all other mental health professionals who work with clients suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Students and academics interested in the eating disorders will find it an outstanding reference.

Publisher: The Guilford Press (1990-01-26)
Format: Hardcover