Eating Disorder Summary - Essay Example

Eating Disorder Summary Bryony Bamford and Richard Sly’s article “Exploring Quality of Life in the Eating Disorders” divulges into the overall quality of life in people who are receiving treatment for an eating disorder. Despite the amount of people that suffer from eating disorders, not enough attention has been given in how they effect quality of life. The factors that were taken into consideration in this study were Body Mass Index, the duration of the illness, and how severe the illness was.

Also, numerous areas were considered in regard to quality of life, such as psychologically, physically, financially, and in work or school. The hypothesis contemplated prior to the study is that people who are suffering or who have suffered from an eating disorder experience lower quality of life. Studies previously undergone confirm this assumption, though very little has been focused on whether or not the length of the disorder has a direct connection with quality of life. However, these studies have been criticized due to their method of generic quality of life measures.

Since then, different methods of measurement have been developed. The method implemented involved one hundred fifty six participants, with one hundred forty eight females and eight males. The average age of these participants was twenty-six years. Fifty-six participants had diagnoses for anorexia nervosa restrictive subtype; twenty-four had diagnoses for anorexia nervosa binge purge subtype; forty had diagnoses of bulimia nervosa; and thirty-six had diagnoses that were not specified. These diagnoses were determined through interviews with the participants and doctors that specialized in eating disorders.

The measures used to collect data were an assortment of questionnaires that the participants filled out. The eating disorders examination questionnaire was a self-evaluation that measured eating pathology and focused on four subscales: restraint, eating concern, shape concern, and weight concern. The eating disorders quality of life instrument was a self-evaluation that assessed the quality of life in the participants. The four subscales this instrument consisted of were psychological, physical/cognitive, work/school, and financial.

A five-point scale was used to allow participants to determine how their eating disorder affected their lives in each of these areas, with the highest number indicating a lower quality of life. A final questionnaire was used to gather demographical information and a history of treatment, which were used to determine the duration of the illness. The results of the study determined that the severity of the eating disorder and the body mass index played important roles in the quality of life, lowering the quality in these participants.

The duration of the illness, however, revealed no significant data in the declination of quality of life in individuals with eating disorders. The specific diagnosis was also excluded from the results as it also revealed no significance to the study. This was the first study that focused on numerous areas when looking at quality of life in individuals with eating disorders, concentrating on areas other than mentally and physically. The researchers hope that the provided information will help clinicians understand the methods that should be implemented when their patients seek treatment for their disorders.

However, it was noted that the study favored females over males, even though males were present in the study. As such, it has been suggested that future studies in regard to quality of life and eating disorders should expand to include larger male populations. References Bamford, B., & Sly, R. (2009). Exploring quality of life in the eating disorders. European Eating Disorders Review, 18, 147-153.