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What are eating disorders

People who suffer from an eating disorder worry about everything that they eat so much that it can control their life. It can stop them making realistic decisions about what they eat and how much they should eat.

People can develop eating disorders for a number of reasons. These include:

If they go undetected, eating disorders can cause real health problems as they stop the body getting all the essential energy and nutrients it needs to function properly.

Although a lot of people with eating disorders are female, there are a growing number of men who are seeking help.

Remember that sufferers of an eating disorder will not always have the same symptoms as someone else who has the same problem.

Anorexia

Sufferers of anorexia nervosa severely reduce the amount of food they eat due to a fear of gaining weight. Some sufferers can eat nothing or fast for a number of days.

People who have had the condition for a long time can lose a lot of weight and view their body size as being larger than their actual size. In severe cases, people can die from the effects of anorexia as normal functioning of the body is disturbed, especially if they do not seek any help.

• More information about anorexia (opens new window)

Bulimia

Bulimia nervosa is different from anorexia, as sufferers eat large amounts of food very quickly and then make themselves sick or take laxatives to get rid of it all.

This happens in cycles and depending on how seriously the person suffers from bulimia, cycles can happen every few months or even several times every day.

• More information about bulimia (opens new window)

Binge eating

You may think that all eating disorders cause extreme weight loss, but people who have a binge eating disorder can gain large amounts of weight because they binge on food during the day or continue to eat when they're not actually hungry.

Binge eating is usually in response to negative moods. Binge eaters can become obese and can develop problems with their heart, blood pressure and general level of fitness.

Where to get help

If you think you may have an eating disorder, or if you suspect that one of your friends or relatives do and you'd like to help them, you should talk to a doctor. They'll be able to suggest ways of treating the problem and can provide you with details of support groups and help organisations in your local area.

You can also contact the Eating Disorders Association's Youthline, who are experienced in listening to young people who feel they have problems with eating. Anything that you say over the phone will be kept confidential.

• Contact details for the Eating Disorders Association (opens new window)