Guidelines from NICE (2004) on eating disorders emphasise the responsibilities of all psychiatrists in managing patients with eating disorders.

Concerns about weight and shape are common in the general population. Dieting and exercise are encouraged in the face of what has been described as a western epidemic of obesity.

Weight reduction is almost universally seen as positive and of overall benefit to health. The thin ideal is accepted as a societal norm and spares neither gender nor age.

So when, how and why does an individual move from what might be considered a 'normal' pattern of thinking and behaviour with respect to eating and weight, to an abnormal condition, the 'eating disorder'?

Which physical and psychological features distinguish a clinically significant eating problem from say, a desire to be 'healthy' or a strong emphasis on the importance of appearance? Is weight the (only) issue?

In this module, the spectrum of eating disorders will be introduced. Current classification and its conundrums will be outlined. Clinical features are described and vignettes presented to demonstrate typical presentations of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. The module principally addresses eating disorders in adult patients.

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