Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Perspectives on etiology and cognitive behavior therapy.

This article gives a brief historical introduction to the field of eating disorders. Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN) are seen from a sociocultural point of view, and the current emphasis on slimness is regarded as an important factor in the etiology of eating disorders. A short description of the central features of BN is given, and some important explanatory psychological models are described with the emphasis on the cognitive-behavioral model. Recent controlled treatment studies are cited.