Eating Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood

This chapter focuses on childhood eating disorders, excluding anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (which are covered in Developmental Disorders, chap. 8). Along with anorexia and bulimia nervosa, the DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric Association, 1987) lists only two other childhood and adolescent diagnostic categories under the heading of Eating Disorders: rumination disorder of infancy and pica. Obesity is not considered an eating disorder because “it is not generally associated with any distinctly psychological or behavioral syndrome” (p. 65). If, however, “psychological factors are of importance in the etiology or course of a particular case of obesity, this can be indicated by noting Psychological Factors Affecting Physical Condition” (p. 65).