Many people who seek treatment for an eating disorder do not meet all the criteria for a classic disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. If they are severely impaired in their everyday life and well-being, these people are usually diagnosed with an »eating disorder, unspecified«. Apparently, behind this there is often a disease that is not yet officially recognized, but is already being intensively discussed in research: the »purging disorder«. A research team from the USA examined this mental illness more closely.
In the case of the purging disorder, those affected try to get rid of previously consumed calories – for example through intentionally induced vomiting, excessive sport or the abuse of laxatives. In this respect, the disorder is similar to the more well-known bulimia or Brecht’s eating disorder. However, the purging disorder lacks the typical food cravings that characterize bulimia and are necessary for the diagnosis.
In their long-term study, the scientists led by Katherine Jean Forney from Ohio University compared 50 women who suffered from the symptoms of a purging disorder with 82 bulimia patients. The subjects were asked twice at intervals of ten years about their eating habits, their quality of life and psychological impairments.
The purging disorder proved to be just as stressful for those affected as bulimia. In both cases, for example, every fourth patient suffered from an accompanying depression or anxiety disorder. The “purging” behavior was also just as persistent: it remained constant for around half of the respondents over the ten-year period. Only in a few subjects did the symptoms change in the direction of bulimia. This suggests that purging disorder is a disease in its own right and not just a milder or temporary form of bulimia.