INTRODUCTIONOver the past two decades the incidence of eating disorders has more than doubled. At one time considered extremely rare, cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia have risen to alarming proportions. Studies show that an estimated ten percent of American women have an eating disorder and on college campuses, the number often exceeds twenty percent (New York Times, 1988). It is estimated that five to fifteen percent of anorexics die after losing approximately one-half their normal body weight. An additional two to five percent commit suicide. In 1984, one death attributed to bulimia was reported (Consumer’s Research, 1987). Eating disorders are not new to the medical world. In fact, the term anorexia nervosa was coined over one hundred years ago by Sir William Gull, the most renowned British physician of his time. As early as 1689, Richard Morton described an illness he called “a nervous consumption”, referring to an adolescent boy who wasted away while consumed with his studies. He described this patient as “a skeleton only clad with skin”. (Burch, 1987). Much still remains unknown about eating disorders. However, it does appear that no one factor predisposes an individual to an eating disorder. Rather it seems to be caused and maintained by an interaction of social, psychological and biological factors (Garfinkel, 1985). This course explores the contribution of all these factors, the elements of treatment and information to enable nurses in all areas of the profession to not only detect the illness and work with patients towards resolution, but also to examine their own attitudes and myths regarding weight so as not to contribute to the proliferation of the illness. Although there are a growing number of males afflicted with eating disorders, females are by far the largest number represented in reported cases. This may partly be attributed to differences in the way our society views body size between males and females. A large man might be considered strong and masculine, rather than simply fat. And a man who exercises continuously and stays trim would only be considered athletic, rather than an exercise fanatic like his female counterpart. Because of the higher percentage of reported female cases, the female pronoun will be used throughout this course. It is by no means discriminatory or to dismiss the probable large number of unreported cases in males. |