ANOREXIA NERVOSA'S ANALYTICAL-BEHAVIORAL COMPREHENSION

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a serious eating disorder, associated with several biopsychosocial impairments. The clinical psychologist has an indispensable role in the treatment. The aim of this study was to present a proposal for analytical-behavioral understanding of AN and to discuss how the behaviors verified in this condition are selected and maintained from the complex interaction between the three levels of selection: phylogenesis, ontogenesis and culture. At the phylogenetic level, on the one hand, the biological apparatus, modeled by natural selection, in the context of food scarcity, and on the other, the drastic change in food availability, especially in the last centuries, were approached. At the ontogenetic level the relationship established between Av. Professor Mello Moraes, 1721, Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-030, Prédio F, Sala 19. Endereço eletrônico: felipealckminc@gmail.com ANÁLISE COMPORTAMENTAL DA ANOREXIA NERVOSA www.sp-ps.pt 424 the individual and the food was discussed considering the history of reinforcement and punishment since birth. At the cultural level, the beauty pattern presented by the fashion industry and disseminated by the mass media, the valorization of "impossible bodies" in genetic terms for the majority of the population, and the production of corporal dissatisfaction and restriction. From the functional evaluation of typical AN eating behaviors it is possible to investigate its determinants and propose management of contingencies that contemplate the specificities of each case.