Eating disorders - anorexia as an interdisciplinary problem

Sowińska-Przepiera Elżbieta, Patalong-Wójcik Martyna, Andrysiak-Mamos Elżbieta, Starzyński Dariusz, Przestalski Marek, Syrenicz Anhelli. Eating disorders - anorexia as an interdisciplinary problem. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2019;9(2):113-122. eISNN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2559191

http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/6568

https://pbn.nauka.gov.pl/sedno-webapp/works/903225

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© The Authors 2019;

This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland

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Received: 25.01.2019. Revised: 30.01.2019. Accepted: 07.02.2019.

Eating disorders - anorexia as an interdisciplinary problem

Elżbieta Sowińska-Przepiera, Martyna Patalong-Wójcik, Elżbieta Andrysiak-Mamos, Dariusz Starzyński, Marek Przestalski, Anhelli Syrenicz

Department of Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases, and Internal Diseases,

Pomeranian Medical University, Unii Lubelskiej St. 1, 71–252 Szczecin, Poland

ABSTRCT

Eating disorders are a serious medical and social problems. The most commonly recognized eating disorders are anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa, now classified as a behavioral disorders.

Anorexia nervosa is a disease involving intentional body weight reduction, distorted body image and the dysmorphophobia, often with concomitant depression and social withdrawal. Understanding anorexia is not only limited to a food or a body weight. Underlying disorders include: emotional issues, undetermined identity, a negative self-image, etc.

AN has a reported prevalence in woman of 0,5-1%, and 0.05-0.1% in men. Prevalence rate among polish girls under 18 years old is 0.8% - 1.8% .

The etiology of this disorder is multifactorial and unclear. The predisposing factors include: genetic factors, personality disorders, specific family patterns (overprotection, avoiding conflicts) and high economic status.

Diagnosis of AN is a challenge. Symptomatology is variable, including: behavior changes, psychological and somatic symptoms, specific biochemical and hormonal abnormalities. A treatment is multidisciplinary and multi-stage, comprising: (1) the life saving therapy (prevention of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and cachexia), (2) restoration of normal body weight, (3) adjuvant pharmacotherapy, (4) psychotherapy. The efficacy of treatment is unsatisfactory. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental disorders: after 15-20 years the mortality prevalence rate is 19-20%, mainly as a result of cardiovascular complications and suicides.

Key word: anorexia.