[Eating disorders (ED) and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD): common factors]

Several similarities exist in the phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders (ED : anorexia nervosa and bulimia). Both disorders include obsessive thoughts and compulsive or ritualized behaviours. Furthermore, these two disorders frequently present with similar comorbid disorders. In this article, the authors examine similarities between ED and OCD, and whether eating disorders can be conceptualized as a variant of obsessive-compulsive disorders. This raises the possibility that treatments proven effective for OCD could be successfully adapted for ED. The authors consequently further examine both treatments utilized for both disorders.