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Science 29 May 1998:
Vol. 280. no. 5368, pp. 1387 - 1390
DOI: 10.1126/science.280.5368.1387
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Articles

Eating Disorders: Progress and Problems

B. Timothy Walsh, * Michael J. Devlin

Recent research on Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa has yielded an increasingly detailed understanding of the range of biological and psychological abnormalities associated with these eating disorders. Inherited vulnerabilities, cultural pressures, and adverse individual and family experiences all appear to contribute to the onset of extreme dieting, binge eating, and purging. Once initiated, these behaviors give rise to multiple physiological disturbances, some of which may serve to perpetuate the illness. Although there have been substantial advances in the management of Bulimia Nervosa, the goal of offering effective treatment to all individuals with eating disorders remains elusive. This article reviews current thinking on the etiology and treatment of the two major eating disorders and a related syndrome, Binge Eating Disorder.

The authors are with the New York State Psychiatric Institute and the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: btw1{at}columbia.edu

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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Discrepant Results Regarding Long-term Survival of Patients With Anorexia Nervosa?.
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Neurobiology of Zinc-Influenced Eating Behavior.
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