Differentiate between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in terms of diagnostic criteria.

• A. Anorexia nervosa involves recurrent binge eating with compensatory behaviors.
• B. Bulimia nervosa involves restriction of intake with intense fear of gaining weight.
• C. Anorexia nervosa typically presents with underweight BMI; bulimia nervosa with normal to overweight body weight.
• D. Anorexia nervosa involves restriction of intake with intense fear of gaining weight and distorted body image, often with very low BMI; bulimia nervosa involves recurrent binge eating with compensatory behaviors, typically with normal to overweight body weight.

Answer: (D)

Understanding how these two eating disorders are defined helps you see why this option is the best match. Anorexia nervosa is defined by restriction of food intake that leads to a significantly low body weight, coupled with an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of one’s body size, often resulting in a very low BMI. Bulimia nervosa, on the other hand, centers on recurrent binge eating episodes with a sense of loss of control, followed by compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain, and people with bulimia are typically normal weight or overweight rather than underweight. So the statement that describes anorexia as restriction with intense fear of weight gain and a very low BMI, and bulimia as recurrent binge eating with compensatory behaviors and a normal to overweight body weight, best reflects the diagnostic distinctions. The other options mix or omit these core criteria (for example, attributing bulimia to simple restriction, or misstating typical weight ranges or the binge-purge pattern).