Current eating behavior
Lorna reported eating three meals a day, usually cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and a cooked dinner at around 7pm each day. She drinks alcohol rarely. Lorna is not on any medication besides insulin for the diabetes.
Aside from regular meals, she reports regularly eating large volumes of food, when not hungry. An example is: three packets of biscuits, a box of doughnuts, and a 2-litre tub of ice-cream. She reports that these episodes occurred roughly once or twice a month for as long as Lorna can remember. Lorna has not strong recollection of what triggers the eating episodes, but generally feels frustrated that her attempts at dieting do not work and feels that she struggles to keep to the rules.
When she breaks the rules, she feels like she may as well go crazy and start again tomorrow; this is when the episodes of eating large volumes are likely. Due to the limitations on her lifestyle, Lorna has previously spent a lot of time alone. She found the loneliness hard to deal with and often turned to food as a comfort. Lorna is keen to undergo weight loss surgery and looks forward to being able to enjoy a richer and fuller life.
Essay Question (section A)
2. Refer to the case study of Lorna. Using clear justification from theory and research, critically consider what interventions might be useful to Lorna, and how outcome would be assessed.
Essay Question (section B)
3. Critically discuss the role of illness perceptions in how patients react to new symptoms.
