Actualización sobre los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria

Abstract

Eating disorders (ED) (mainly anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder) mainly start in adolescence and youth. They are characterized by restriction of calories and/or food types, recurrent binges, and compensatory behaviors that lead to a state of malnutrition. Patients also present with an exaggerated preoccupation with their weight and body image. ED tend to entail relapses. A multidisciplinary treatment approach is fundamental. The use of psychotropic drugs in anorexia nervosa would be limited to clinical forms of severe intensity or for the treatment of comorbid disorders. In bulimia nervosa, it would be limited to the use of fluoxetine and, most of all, associated with cognitive behavioral psychotherapy and family intervention. Psychiatric comorbidities are common (anxiety disorders, depressive episodes, substance abuse, or risk of suicide). The diagnosis is clinical and thus the main tool is a clinical interview, but a medical-nutritional evaluation is also necessary.