[Eating disorders: symptomatology, course and prognosis, epidemiology, and psychiatric comorbidity. Review article]

Eating disorders are a group of serious psychiatric disorders that affect primarily young women and can have serious consequences on their lives and their families. Eating disorders are characterized by disordered eating behaviour with desire for thinness that can result in serious physical and psychological symptoms and death. Eating disorders tend to run a chronic course. Psychiatric comorbidity and physical complications are common among eating disordered patients and these issues need to be taken into consideration during treatment. Prevalence and incidence of eating disorders appears to be increasing in Western societies and follow increased prosperity and obesity problems. There is no reason to believe that the situation is different in Iceland but research is lacking. In this review article we address the main symptoms and diagnostic criteria of three types of eating disorders, that is anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified. The course and prognosis, epidemiology, and psychiatric comorbidity of eating disorders will also be presented. Finally, we discuss the services available to eating disordered patients here in Iceland and the need for further development of the services.