The Role of Stress in the Development of Bulimia Essay -- Causes of Bul

The Role of Stress in the Development of Bulimia During the past few decades, Western culture has witnessed an enormous explosion in the number of eating disorders reported among young women. One such type of eating disorder is Butimia Nervosa. According to the DSM-IV criteria it is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating, in which the person experiences a feeling of "loss of control",and recurrent compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain. Both of these behaviors occur, on average, at least twice a week for three months. In addition, self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight. Finally, there are two subcategories of bulimia. There is the purging type in which the person regularly engages in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of diuretics or laxatives. The other type is the nonpurging group in which the person engages in other inappropriate compensatory behaviors rather than self-induced vomiting, laxatives, or diuretics. (American Psychiatric Association, 1993) Several studies have focused on stress as one important variable in the onset or occurrence of eating disorders such as bulimia. In addition, they explore the different situations or events which bulin-fics consider to be stressful and the various ways in which bulimics cope with these stressors. In this paper I plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the following related studies and attempt to answer the question, What is the role of stress in the development of DuUnfia? Do Bulimics Appraise Stress Differently? It is possible that bulimics may appraise potential stressors differently from other individuals. For example, in comparison to nonbulimics, people with bulimia may appraise the situation as being more s... ...ic Disorder with Agoraphobia on Eating Disorder Symptomatology: A Case Study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 18,195-198. Compas, B.A., Rosen, J.C., & Tacy, B. (1993). The Relation Among Stress, Psychological Symptoms, and Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Prospective Analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 14,153-162. Cooper, P. J. & Steere, J. (I 993). The Effects of Eating of Dietary Restraint, Anxiety, and Hunger. Intemational Journal of Eating Disorders, 13, 211-219. Lopez-lbor, A. J. (1991). The nosological entity buhmia nervosa. Actas Luso-Espanolas de Neurologia, 19, 304-325. Killen, J.D., Maron, D.J., Robinson, T.N., Saylor, K.E., Taylor, C.B., & Telch, M.J. (1987). Evidence for an Alcohol-Stress Link among- Normal Weight Adolescent's Reporting Purging Behavior. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 6, 349-3 56. The Role of Stress in the Development of Bulimia Essay -- Causes of Bul The Role of Stress in the Development of Bulimia During the past few decades, Western culture has witnessed an enormous explosion in the number of eating disorders reported among young women. One such type of eating disorder is Butimia Nervosa. According to the DSM-IV criteria it is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating, in which the person experiences a feeling of "loss of control",and recurrent compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain. Both of these behaviors occur, on average, at least twice a week for three months. In addition, self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight. Finally, there are two subcategories of bulimia. There is the purging type in which the person regularly engages in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of diuretics or laxatives. The other type is the nonpurging group in which the person engages in other inappropriate compensatory behaviors rather than self-induced vomiting, laxatives, or diuretics. (American Psychiatric Association, 1993) Several studies have focused on stress as one important variable in the onset or occurrence of eating disorders such as bulimia. In addition, they explore the different situations or events which bulin-fics consider to be stressful and the various ways in which bulimics cope with these stressors. In this paper I plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the following related studies and attempt to answer the question, What is the role of stress in the development of DuUnfia? Do Bulimics Appraise Stress Differently? It is possible that bulimics may appraise potential stressors differently from other individuals. For example, in comparison to nonbulimics, people with bulimia may appraise the situation as being more s... ...ic Disorder with Agoraphobia on Eating Disorder Symptomatology: A Case Study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 18,195-198. Compas, B.A., Rosen, J.C., & Tacy, B. (1993). The Relation Among Stress, Psychological Symptoms, and Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Prospective Analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 14,153-162. Cooper, P. J. & Steere, J. (I 993). The Effects of Eating of Dietary Restraint, Anxiety, and Hunger. Intemational Journal of Eating Disorders, 13, 211-219. Lopez-lbor, A. J. (1991). The nosological entity buhmia nervosa. Actas Luso-Espanolas de Neurologia, 19, 304-325. Killen, J.D., Maron, D.J., Robinson, T.N., Saylor, K.E., Taylor, C.B., & Telch, M.J. (1987). Evidence for an Alcohol-Stress Link among- Normal Weight Adolescent's Reporting Purging Behavior. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 6, 349-3 56.