Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior such asextreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating as well asfeelings o... » 

Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior such asextreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating as well asfeelings of distress about body shape or weight. An estimated 5 to 8 millionAmericans90 of them women in their teens to early adulthoodare diagnosed withan eating disorder. While eating disorders such as anorexia bulimia orbingeeating mainly affect girls and young women these serious andpotentially fatal disorders are now prevalent in children as young as nine andincreasingly in boys and men as well. The causes of eating disorders arecomplex and include physical emotional and social factors. Eating disordersare not simply bad habits or difficult behavior that can be controlled theyare medical conditions that require professional attention. Treatment needsvary by the individual but generally include a combination of psychotherapy andattention to medical and nutritional needs. «