Eating Disorders
Eating disorders usually start in adolescents. They are more common among females then they are among males. Let me point out that there are males who do suffer from eating disorders; it is not just females who suffer from them. There are many different kinds of eating disorders but the two leading disorders are anorexia and bulimia.
Anorexia
BulimiaThis disorder is characterized as binging (eating large amounts of food) and purging (excessive exercising, puking, abuse of laxatives).
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An individual who suffers from Anorexia is consumed by the desire to be thin. There are three main characteristics that are attributed to Anorexia. The first one is that the individual must weigh less than 85% of what their "normal" body weight is for the age and height. The second one is that the individual must be incredibly fearful of gaining weight. The final characteristic is that the individual will have a distorted view of what they look like.
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Eating disorders can overlap. Adolescents could be struggling with their body image due to cultural influences or one or more psychological problems. Eating disorders can lead to serious illness or even death. If you think you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, notify a parent, a counselor or a health care provider.