Name of Resource: A Time Life Medical video titled Anorexia & Bulimia

Author: C. Everett Koop, MD

Publication Date: 1996

Crisis Intervention Area: Anorexia and bulimia

Summary of Resource:
Many people diet and do not develop eating disorders. However, for some, the effort to
become thin can turn into an obsession. This 30-minute video focuses on 4 reports. The
first is report is titled Understanding the Diagnosis. Eating disorder experts say that
eating disorders may result from factors such as emotional and personality problems,
family tensions, such s divorce, and societal pressure to be thin. The second report is
titled What happens next? A family doctor is typically the first to diagnose anorexia or
bulimia. From there, they are usually referred to specialists. In severe cases a patient
will be admitted into a hospital. The third report is titled Treatment and Management.
Initially, anorexic patients are given a special diet as they proceed with individual and
group counseling. Treating bulimia can be a little different. The first step is to tend to
any physical complications. From there, the patient receives one-on-one counseling. In
more severe cases a patient recovering from bulimia may also be put on medication,
typically anti-depressants. The last report is titled Issues and Answers. This report
addresses four questions. What is the relationship between depression and bulimia? Can
a young woman who stops menstruating for a time get pregnant later in life? Do most
health insurance plans cover treatment for eating disorders? And finally, once I’ve gone
through treatment, how can I keep from relapsing into the same behavior? The bottom
line is disease is easier to control than the outside pressures, and treatment is very
imperative.