Eating disorder: The facts. S. Abraham. Oxford University Press: Oxford. (1992) pp. 194, £13.00
1
Book Reviews Eating Disorder: The Facts S. Abraham Oxford University Press: Oxford. (1992) pp. 194, g13.00 This is the third edition, published in 1992, of a ‘pocket sized’ textbook about the epidemiology and treatment of eating disorders. It is written by an Australian medical specialist but has a very ‘user-friendly’ style. The use of jargon is kept to a minimum and there are simple diagrams and brief personal stories from clients to illustrate the points made in the text. There is even the odd cartoon! However, this is of limited value to the specialist clinician who is no doubt aware, for example, of the variation in prevalence rates according to the sample studied, as sources are never quoted. It is not clear whether their statistics come from Australian samples, or whether European or North American data are similar. The treatment approach recommended is inevitably rather medical. The authors make scant reference to the important psychological issues which many eating disordered clients have to address in order to recover. I also found the outline of their psycho-educational model of bulimia rather wanting, omitting as it did the significant role of undereating which leads to craving and bingeing. In their favour, the authors do stress the importance of individualizing treatment and advocate a client-centred approach. It is not clear who the book is aimed at. It is probably most useful for the professional beginning work with eating disordered clients or for self-help groups as a quick guide to each disorder and its practical management. (For example, it introduces the use of the Body Mass Index in place of age and gender norms for weight). There is also a useful chapter on obesity, but no distinction is made between the needs of and services for people with binge eating rather than simple obesity. In United Kingdom mental health services this distinction is routinely made. things as teaching materials, but lacking academic rigour. To summarize, a handy book for quick reference and occasional use for such Lorraine Bell CCC 1072-4133/95/020121-04 0 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and Eating Disorders Association European Eating Disorders Review 3(2), 121-124 (1995)
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Transcript of Eating disorder: The facts. S. Abraham. Oxford University Press: Oxford. (1992) pp. 194, £13.00
Book Reviews
Eating Disorder: The Facts S. Abraham Oxford University Press: Oxford. (1992) pp. 194, g13.00
This is the third edition, published in 1992, of a ‘pocket sized’ textbook about the epidemiology and treatment of eating disorders. It is written by an Australian medical specialist but has a very ‘user-friendly’ style. The use of jargon is kept to a minimum and there are simple diagrams and brief personal stories from clients to illustrate the points made in the text. There is even the odd cartoon! However, this is of limited value to the specialist clinician who is no doubt aware, for example, of the variation in prevalence rates according to the sample studied, as sources are never quoted. It is not clear whether their statistics come from Australian samples, or whether European or North American data are similar.
The treatment approach recommended is inevitably rather medical. The authors make scant reference to the important psychological issues which many eating disordered clients have to address in order to recover. I also found the outline of their psycho-educational model of bulimia rather wanting, omitting as it did the significant role of undereating which leads to craving and bingeing. In their favour, the authors do stress the importance of individualizing treatment and advocate a client-centred approach.
It is not clear who the book is aimed at. It is probably most useful for the professional beginning work with eating disordered clients or for self-help groups as a quick guide to each disorder and its practical management. (For example, it introduces the use of the Body Mass Index in place of age and gender norms for weight). There is also a useful chapter on obesity, but no distinction is made between the needs of and services for people with binge eating rather than simple obesity. In United Kingdom mental health services this distinction is routinely made.
things as teaching materials, but lacking academic rigour. To summarize, a handy book for quick reference and occasional use for such
Lorraine Bell
CCC 1072-4133/95/020121-04 0 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and Eating Disorders Association
European Eating Disorders Review 3(2), 121-124 (1995)
