Eating disorders

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Introduction Signs and symptoms Causes Risk factors When to seek medical advice Screening and diagnosis

Complications Treatment Prevention Self-care Coping skills

Introduction

Eating disorders are a broad group of serious conditions in which you're so preoccupied with food and weight that you can often focus on little else. The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, and there are also many subtypes.

Most people with eating disorders are females, but males also have eating disorders. The exception is binge-eating disorder, which appears to affect almost as many males as females.

Treatments for eating disorders usually involve psychotherapy, nutrition education, family counseling, medications and hospitalization.

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Signs and symptoms