Chapter 1. Chapter 17

Synopsis

Julie is 19 years old and in her first year of college. She stands 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 102 pounds. Julie doesn't have much of a social life, and she tends to isolate herself from her three female roommates. She finds it difficult to concentrate on her classwork. Her skin has taken on a yellowish color, and her roommates are commenting on how little she eats. To avoid the issue, Julie frequently lies about how much she eats. She fainted one day after an exercise session. Concerned, her roommates contacted her parents, who insisted that she seek help.

During the initial interview with the therapist, it became clear that Julie's eating disorder had started in early adolescence. The pubescent changes to her body made her feel fat, ugly, embarrassed, and fearful. She thought that she stood out from her thinner peers. Julie went on a diet and lost 10 pounds yet still saw herself as fat. She began preparing her own meals, carefully tracking the fat and calorie content of anything she ate. Her eating behavior became more regimented, she exercised hard every day, and she weighed herself when she woke up and when she went to bed. If she gained so much as 3 ounces, she became anxious. Any attempts by her parents to change her eating habits were met with stiff resistance.

Read the textbook section on eating disorders and visit the American Psychological Association Web site: www.apa.org (search for eating disorders).