Living with Eating Disorders - part 1

Courtesy of http://www.genericforyou.com - Patients talk about diagnosis and living with Eating Disorders.

Eating disorders are conditions characterized by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and emotional health, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa being the most common specific forms in the United States, Though primarily thought of as affecting females (an estimated 5--10 million being affected in the U.S.), eating disorders affect males as well (an estimated 1 million U.S. males being affected).

The causes of eating disorders are complex and poorly understood, though it is clear that they are often associated with other conditions and social situations; for example, one study found that girls with ADHD are many times more likely to develop certain eating disorders and another found that women raised in foster care are many times more likely to develop bulimia nervosa. It is generally thought that peer pressure and idealized body-types seen in the media are also a significant factor.

While proper treatment can be highly effective for many of the specific types of eating disorder, the consequences of eating disorders can be severe, including death (whether from direct medical effects of disturbed eating habits or from comorbid conditions such as suicidal thinking).

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