Eating Disorders and Alcohol Abuse

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Eating Disorders and Alcohol Abuse

The relationship between eating disorders and alcoholism has become a widely researched topic only in the last fifteen years. Since 1985, there have been an increasing number of research and case studies substantiating a correlation between these two behavioral and addictive disorders. Alcoholism affects nearly 14 million United States citizens (http://silk.nih.gov/silk/niaaa1/publication/booklet.htm ). The four basic elements of this disease include a craving for, loss of control over, physical dependence on, and tolerance to alcohol (http://silk.nih.gov/silk/niaaa1/publication/booklet.htm). Unfortunately, there is no cure for alcoholism, although various forms of treatment have become available. Eating disorders also affect a vast number of people: approximately 1% of female adolescents have anorexia nervosa and 4% of college-aged women have bulimia nervosa (http://www.anred.com/stats.html ). Men experience eating disorders less than women and encompass only 5-10% of the populations of eating disorder patients (http://www.anred.com/stats.html ). There is no cure for eating disorders. However, varieties of medicinal and psychotherapy treatments have allowed for improvements in patients and critical debates. The following paper analyzes five research studies that examined the possible correlation between eating disorders and alcohol abuse. Each report provides a summary of the procedures, results, and discussions formulated by the researchers. Finally, a critique of the overall findings from each study will offer possible changes that might help concretize conclusions to the many unanswered questions concerning eating disorders and their tendency to result in alcohol abuse.

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Works Consulted

(all provide relevant and similar data to the studies described in this paper)

Cepik A, et al. "Bulimia in a Male Alcoholic: A Symptom Substitution in Alcoholism."

International-Journal-of-Eating-Disorders Mar. 1995; Vol 17 (2): 201-4.

Dunne, FJ et al. "Eating Disorders and Alcohol Misuse: Features of an Addiction

Spectrum." Postgraduate-Medical-Journal Feb. 1991; Vol 67 (784): 112-3.

Goldbloom, DS et al. "Eating Disorders and Alcohol Abuse in Women."

British-Journal-of-Addiciton Jun. 1992; Vol 87 (6): 913-9.

Jones, DA et al. "Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, and Alcoholism-- Association of

Eating Disorder and Alcohol." Journal-of-Psychiatric-Research 1985; Vol 19

(2-3): 377-380.

Peveler, R. et al. "Eating Disorders in Women Who Abuse Alcohol."

British-Journal-of-Addiciton Dec. 1990; Vol. 85 (12): 1633-8.

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