Common Types of Eating Disorders

Currently living and working in Arvada, Colorado, David M Garner, PhD, is an academic researcher and is the President of Eating Attitudes LLC which provides information information related to the eating disorders screening to researchers and the public. Dr. David M Garner has had a long-standing professional interest in eating disorders, of which there are a number of common forms.

An eating disorder can be classified as a mental health condition that has a negative impact on a person physically due to their eating habits. There are a number of different factors that can cause eating disorders to appear, including environment and genetics.

Anorexia nervosa is the most well-known and diagnosed eating disorder, and it normally develops in adolescents and young teens. People with this diagnosis will usually look at themselves as obese even if they are very underweight. They will tend to avoid eating certain foods, restrict calories, and skip meals completely.

Bulimia nervosa is another common eating disorder that also typically starts to appear in adolescents and young teens. Binge eating, or eating large volumes of food, is a common part of bulimia, as the person experiences overwhelming thoughts about food. This binge-eating is normally followed by purging, or vomiting, to lower their caloric intake. Many bulimia sufferers report a lack of self-control when binging.

Pica is an eating disorder that is not common, and it involves compulsively eating things that are not classified as food. This disorder can be found in any age group, but most commonly occurs in children, people with mental disorders, and pregnant women. This can cause health concerns for the patient, as they may ingest things that could physically hurt or even poison them.

Anorexia Nervosa to Clinical Legitimacy

Dr. David M. Garner draws upon extensive experience as a certified life coach and a PhD in clinical psychology as board president of a Toledo, Ohio-area not-for-profit eating disorder information and research entity called the River Centre Foundation. Dr. David M Garner has also authored a range of widely cited academic articles, the majority of which have involved investigations into anorexia nervosa.

An eating disorder that often leads to dangerous low body weight, anorexia nervosa generally involves highly exaggerated fears of gaining weight and distorted body perceptions in patients. Although some experts trace the roots of anorexia nervosa to ancient or medieval times, the first widely recognized and detailed account of the disorder occurred in 1689. Treating both a boy and a girl who were wasting away while professing a loss of appetite, English physician Richard Morton declared “this consumption to be nervous.”

Another English physician, William Gull, coined the term “anorexia nervosa” in various 1873 case reports. That same year, French physician Ernest Charles Lasegue released descriptions of patients with “anorexie hysterique.” However, anorexia nervosa didn’t find widespread understanding until the mid-1900s, thanks to the prolific publications of American doctor Hilde Bruch.

Study Reveals COVID-19-Related Issues with Long-Sleeved Gowns

A dedicated academic researcher, Dr. David M. Garner holds a PhD in clinical psychology and presides over the board of directors of the River Centre Foundation in the Toledo suburb of Sylvania, Ohio. Over the course of his career, Dr. David M. Garner has co-authored a number of books and more than 200 articles and abstracts.

In autumn of 2020, he partnered with three other researchers to publish the article “Unintended consequences of long-sleeved gowns in a critical care setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Journal of Hospital Infection included this article in its November issue.

Although Public Health England has recommended the use of long-sleeved gowns as part of standard personal protective equipment (PPE) when treating COVID-19 patients, this study tested the effectiveness of this policy in a 12-bed critical care area that contained COVID-19 patients on ventilators.

Surprisingly, the presence of gram-negative bacteria (GNB) was significantly higher in this COVID-19 critical care area than in other areas of the medical center in which short-sleeved gowns prevail. These relatively high concentrations of GNB may leave COVID-19 survivors with bacterial infections that may also be quite serious. The article points out that long-sleeved gowns tended to prevent healthcare workers from maintaining high hand-hygiene standards.

The Eating Disorder Inventory Measure for Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia

Based in Toledo, David M. Garner, PhD, is a highly regarded researcher who leads The River Centre Foundation (RCF) and focuses on advancing education, prevention, and care for those with eating disorders. Extensively published in his field, Dr. David M. Garner co-authored “Development and validation of a multidimensional eating disorder inventory for anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia” (International Journal of Eating Disorders, 1983).

The paper brought focus to the steps involved in developing and validating a new Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) measure. A 64-item multi-scale self-reported measure, the EDI allows for ready assessment of behavioral and psychological traits often associated with AN and bulimia patients. Within the EDI are eight sub‐scales that measure elements such as “Drive for Thinness,” “Body Dissatisfaction,” “Interpersonal Distrust,” “Maturity Fears,” and “Perfectionism.”

The format of the questionnaire is one in which subjects select on the “always” to “never” scale on forced choice items. The EDI represented a step forward in its efforts to “isolate and objectively measure” specific, well-documented psychological features associated with anorexia nervosa syndrome. Supported by validity and reliability data, it offered an “economical instrument” in evaluating traits common among those with eating disorders.