Diagnosis
According to Pritts and Susman "The medical history is the most powerful tool for diagnosing eating disorders". There are many medical disorders that mimic eating disorders and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Early detection and intervention can assure a better recovery and can improve a lot the quality of life of these patients. In the past 30 years eating disorders have become increasingly conspicuous and it is uncertain whether the changes in presentation reflect a true increase. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most clearly defined subgroups of a wider range of eating disorders. Many patients present with subthreshold expressions of the two main diagnoses: others with different patterns and symptoms.As eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa, are thought of as being associated with young, white females, diagnosis of eating disorders in other races happens more rarely. In one study, when clinicians were presented with identical case studies demonstrating disordered eating symptoms in Black, Hispanic, and white women, 44% noted the white womans behavior as problematic; 41% identified the Hispanic womans behavior as problematic, and only 17% of the clinicians noted the Black womans behavior as problematic (Gordon, Brattole, Wingate, & Joiner, 2006). Medical
The diagnostic workup typically includes complete medical and psychosocial history and follows a rational and formulaic approach to the diagnosis. Neuroimaging using fMRI, MRI, PET and SPECT scans have been used to detect cases in which a lesion, tumor or other organic condition has been either the sole causative or contributory factor in an eating disorder.
Diabulimia, which is characterized by the deliberate manipulation of insulin levels by diabetics in an effort to control their weight. Drunkorexia, which is commonly characterized by purposely restricting food intake in order to reserve food calories for alcoholic calories, exercising excessively in order to burn calories from drinking, and over-drinking alcohol in order to purge previously consumed food. Food maintenance, which is characterized by a set of aberrant eating behaviors of children in foster care. Night eating syndrome, which is characterized by nocturnal hyperphagia (consumption of 25% or more of the total daily calories after the evening meal) with nocturnal ingestions, insomnia, loss of morning appetite and depression. Nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder, which is a parasomnia characterized by eating, habitually out-of-control, while in a state of NREM sleep, with no memory of this the next morning. Gourmand syndrome, a rare condition occurring after damage to the frontal lobe. Individuals develop an obsessive focus on fine foods. Orthorexia nervosa, a term used by Steven Bratman to describie an obsession with a "pure" diet, in which a person develops an obsession with avoiding unhealthy foods to the point where it interferes with the persons life. Klüver-Bucy syndrome, caused by bilateral lesions of the medial temporal lobe, includes compulsive eating, hypersexuality, hyperorality, visual agnosia, and docility. Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder associated with insatiable appetite and morbid obesity. Pregorexia, which is characterized by extreme dieting and over-exercising in order to control pregnancy weight gain.