The two most common eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Eating disorders are disorders of eating behaviors, associated thoughts, attitudes and emotions, and their resulting physiological impairments. Many people who have eating disorders are unspoken secrets that affect many families. Approximately 5 to 10 million Americans suffer from some form of eating disorder.
Anorexia nervosa is a disease in which women become very self-conscious about their weight and have an intense fear of becoming fat or overweight. They even starve themselves in order to stay thin, and some other methods such as vomiting, taking excessive amounts of laxatives or exercising profusely. Many of the ages that are affected are 14-60 years old, but there are some cases of being younger and older than that. Anorexia also affects males, many people seem to forget that because it is not as common to see this illness in a male. Anorexia nervosa can be treated by a medical professional, it can also last a few years or be a lifelong illness.
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Another symptom of bulimia nervosa is ridding oneself of food vomiting, taking laxatives, or over-exercising, commonly known as purging. Many of the ages affected are 14-60 or it is also common for people older than 60 to have bulimia too, but there are also some cases that are younger than 14. Many people think that this illness does not affect males, but it does, it’s just not as common. Bulimia nervosa can be treated by a medical professional, it can also last a few years or be a lifelong illness, as well as anorexia