EATING DISORDERS

Bulimia

Anorexia

“Weight phobia”

Triangulation

Treatment

• operant conditioning in hospital
• privileges contingent upon eating
• will relapse after release without involvement of family

Minuchin

• families often share similar characteristics:  
• overprotectiveness
• rigidity
• superficial “closeness”

Family therapy “lunch sessions”
1)  parents try to get child to eat
2)  they fail
3)  therapist points out to child that she has “won” and achieved independence
within the family,  but must eat to stay alive to enjoy the power
4)  patient begins to eat surreptitiously
5)  at home, must gain certain amount of weight, or stay in bed

Results

• 85% show lasting recovery