Worries about weight, shape and eating are common, especially among young girls. Being very overweight or obese can cause a lot of problems, particularly with health. A lot of young people, many of whom are not overweight in the first place, want to be thinner. For some, worries about weight become an obsession. This can turn into a serious eating disorder. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. 

Someone with anorexia nervosa worries all the time about being fat (even if they are skinny) and eats very little. They lose a lot of weight and their periods become irregular or stop. 

Someone with bulimia nervosa also worries a lot about weight. They alternate between eating next to nothing, and then having binges when they gorge themselves. They vomit or take laxatives to control their weight.

Both of these eating disorders are more common in girls, but do occur in boys.

What causes eating disorders?

Eating disorders are complex conditions that can arise from a variety of potential causes, such as: 

• Low self-esteem 
• Feelings of inadequacy or lack of control in life 
• Depression, anxiety, anger, or loneliness 
• Troubled family and personal relationships 
• Difficulty expressing emotions and feelings 
• History of being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight 
• Cultural pressures that glorify “thinness” and place value on obtaining the “perfect body” 
• Narrow definitions of beauty that include only women and men of specific body weights and shapes 
• Cultural norms that value people on the basis of physical appearance and not inner qualities and strengths 
• In some individuals with eating disorders, certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite, and digestion have been found to be unbalanced. The exact meaning and implications of these imbalances remains under investigation. 
• Current research indicates that there are significant genetic contributions to eating disorders.

Eating Disorders - Signs and Complications

Eating Disorders - Getting Help