What are the two types of anorexia nervosa patients?

Patients with anorexia nervosa are classified into two distinct subtypes based on their behaviors related to food, eating, and body weight. The first subtype is characterized by restrictive behaviors, where the individual significantly limits food intake and does not engage in regular episodes of binge eating or purging. This restrictive subtype involves an intense fear of weight gain and a distorted body image that motivates the individual to maintain a very low body weight through severe dieting, exercise, or fasting.

The second subtype is the purging type, where individuals still exhibit behaviors of extreme weight control, but they engage in purging methods such as vomiting, the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after eating. This subtype may involve some periods of binge eating, but the defining feature is the use of these purging behaviors to control weight despite the presence of anorexic symptoms.

In contrast, the other options either combine traits that do not accurately reflect the established subtypes of anorexia nervosa or refer to binge-eating disorders that are not associated with anorexia nervosa itself. Thus, the differentiation between restrictive and purging types is crucial for understanding the clinical presentation of anorexia nervosa and informing appropriate treatment strategies.