ABSTRACT
To the clinician, the absence of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology in individuals with eating disorders (EDs), particularly those toward the anorexic (i.e., anorexia nervosa [AN]) end of the spectrum, seems more noteworthy than its presence (Bruce & Steiger, 2005; Kaye, Bailer, Frank, Wagner, & Henry 2005). Obsessions, compulsive behaviors, and ruminative thinking, as well as the personality traits of perfectionism, inflexibility, conformity, high personal standards, and a need for control, characterize many who present for treatment. These features inevitably challenge clinicians as they develop treatment modalities for patients with EDs-especially interventions pertaining to weight, shape, and food. As a result, obsessive-compulsive features often need to be addressed in those patients with EDs who are exhibiting full or partial comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or obsessivecompulsive personality disorder (OCPD).
