Glossary

Here are definitions of medical terms related to anorexia.

Behavior therapy: A type of psychotherapy that focuses on changing and gaining control over unwanted behaviors.

Binge eating: Eating an abnormally large amount of food within a certain amount of time. This is usually accompanied by a feeling of lack of control over eating.

Bulimia nervosa: An eating disorder characterized by repeated episodes of binge eating followed by purging (self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas), using diet pills, excessive exercising, or fasting.

Cognitive behavioral therapy: A type of psychotherapy that combines the techniques of cognitive therapy and behavior therapy.

Cognitive therapy: A type of psychotherapy that focuses on changing unproductive thought patterns. It assumes that by changing your thoughts you can change how you feel.

Purging: Ridding the body of food by self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.