Abstract

GONZALEZ, Gabriela Andrea Leite; SACOMANI JUNIOR, Ernindo  and  RONDINA, Regina de Cássia. The experiences of a group of patients with eating disorders: the relationship with the mirror and body image. Rev. Subj. [online]. 2014, vol.14, n.3, pp. 383-394. ISSN 2359-0769.

The incidence of eating disorders (ED) in the population has been increasing steadily. Among the different issues related to food, the highlights are Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN). The objective of this research is to investigate how patients treated at an outpatient mental health experienced the onset of symptoms of ED. Ten patients in care at the 'Hospital das Clínicas' of the West of São Paulo City were invited to participate, voluntarily in this study,. Six of them agreed to participate. For data collection, we used the semi- structured interview. Reports reveal two factors that favored the appearance of ED, according to the interviewees: conflicts in interpersonal relationships and social pressure for slimming/stigmatization. Possibly, sociocultural influences permeate the meanings attributed by patients to their mirror image, contributing to the emergence of distortions in the perception of body weight and shape. The results of this study also suggest that often the awareness of the problem has a delay to happen. Thus, the involvement of family members and the provision of information and guidance on the nature of the disorder are essential in the scope of interventions for treating the problem. It is assumed that preventive programs aimed at improving interpersonal functioning of adolescents, could minimize the risk of developing ED. This study aims to contribute to such actions, in addition to supporting multiprofessional teams in patient care.

Keywords : psychological disorders; eating disorders; body images; anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa.

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