Using the disease model of addiction as a foundation, is Melanie also suffering from a substance use disorder?

Eating Scenario

When 15-year-old Melanie went through puberty, she experienced and increase in appetite and gained about 20 lbs. Her family laughingly referred to her as “chubby,” not realizing how deeply she was affected by their teasing. Melanie began using diet pills she ordered out of the back of a magazine and greatly restricting her food intake. She lost the 20 lbs. very quickly, and she received many compliments about how good she looked. Melanie lost another 15 lbs. on top of that, and when she received comments about looking too thin, she began to wear baggy clothing to hide her frail figure. Her daily food intake by this point was restricted to one small bag of pretzels, one apple, and one small container of yogurt. Melanie would exercise for up to 2 hours per day to burn off the calories from the food she had consumed. She found the diet pills were causing her to feel sleepless and irritable, however she was afraid to stop taking them for fear of regaining the weight she had lost. She ended up increasing the dose. Finally Melanie’s parents, concerned about her appearance, sought help for her.

Why is a balanced diet important to a healthy body and mind? What health problems can result when a person eats/exercises too much, or too little? Is Melanie suffering from an eating disorder? Using the disease model of addiction as a foundation, is Melanie also suffering from a substance use disorder? Devise a plan to address the problems she is experiencing.