What is an Eating Disorder? Eating disorders include extreme
thoughts, emotions, and behaviors surrounding weight, food, and
body shape. There is a pronounced disruption in eating behaviors
and weight management as well as intense anxiety about body
weight and size. Eating disorders are often a dangerous response
to stress. They are serious emotional and physical problems that
can have life-threatening consequences for females and males.
The most common eating disorders are described below: Anorexia
Nervosa is characterized by restricted eating, self-starvation
and excessive weight loss. There is a refusal to maintain weight
at or above a minimally normal weight for height, age, body
type, and activity level. An intense fear of gaining weight and
an unrealistic fear of becoming fat also exist. Body image is
distorted, and the person may feel fat despite being
underweight. An unhealthy concern with body weight and shape is
present. In females, there is a loss of menstrual periods.
Bulimia Nervosa is characteri