A primary difference between anorexia nervosa and bulimia is that anorexia patients:

A) refuse to eat while bulimia patients eat enormous amounts of food in short periods of time
B) are overly concerned with food while bulimia patients do not show any concern for food
C) cannot control their eating while bulimia patients carefully control their food intake
D) have a significantly higher IQ compared to bulimia patients

Question

Amanda Alley · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : A, Explanation :  Anorexia patients refuse to eat or severely restrict their food intake, while bulimia patients eat large amounts of food and then try to compensate for the caloric intake through purging behaviors such as self-induced vomiting or laxative use. Therefore, anorexia patients and bulimia patients have opposite eating patterns. Choice B is incorrect because both anorexia and bulimia patients are overly concerned with food, but in different ways. Anorexia patients are preoccupied with limiting their food intake, while bulimia patients are preoccupied with the quantity of food they consume. Choice C is also incorrect because anorexia patients are often highly controlled in their food intake, while bulimia patients may experience a sense of loss of control during binge episodes. Choice D is not relevant to the question and there is no evidence to suggest that one disorder is associated with a higher IQ than the other.

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