Eating disorders comprise of two kinds of compulsions, the compulsion to eat and the compulsion to avoid eating in order to lose weight. Eating disorders can be caused due to a variety of reasons which include peer pressure, family pressure, family problems, stress at work and most importantly the need to be accepted by society.

Studies indicate that 90% of the people affected by eating disorders are women of different ages and the number of women and men affected by these eating disorders may steadily increase over the next few years due to the increase the stress levels. Conformity is another factor that can increase the number of cases of eating disorders. The average women does not look anything like the women shown on television or in magazines and the average women suffers silently in order to achieve an image that can prove harmful in the long run.

Many people are under the impression that teenagers and young people are the ones suffering from eating disorders, however studies indicate that 80% of children between the ages of 6 ¨C 10 are unhappy with their body shape and weight and 30% of girls have already tried out diets before their ninth birthday. Eating disorders can be classified under 3 categories mainly being anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating.

Anorexia nervosa is disorder which causes people to make a deliberate attempt to lose weight and keep it off and this disorder is powered by the fear of putting on weight. People affected by anorexia nervosa use various techniques to avoid putting on weight. Some of these techniques include excessive exercise, weight loss products, purging and starving. Women affected by anorexia nervosa may miss periods and if a woman has missed 3 consecutive periods before menopause then she can be affected with this eating disorder. Refusal to maintain weight above that of the set standards and using any of the techniques mentioned above to lose weight is another way to identify a person with anorexic nervosa. Anorexia nervosa can cause the person's heart rate to slow down, reduce white blood cell count, constipation, tooth decay, dry skin and chapped list and a host of other health problems.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that compels people to binge on food regularly and then purge in order to compensate for the excess food eaten. People affected with bulimia nervosa self induce vomiting and use laxatives, diuretics and may also over exercise in an attempt to burn the calories consumed while binging. A person is diagnosed with bulimia nervosa if she binges and purges twice a week for a minimum of three consecutive months.

Binge eating disorder is a chronic psychiatric disorder that causes a person to eat excess amounts of foods in a short span of time and may not stop until the person is physically uncomfortable. People with binge eating disorders tend to eat food even when they are not hungry and may eat alone due to being embarrassed about their eating habits. Many binge eaters also feel guilty and depressed after binge eating episodes.

One must remember that although eating disorders primarily affect women, these disorders can also be found in men. Eating disorders can be treated successfully and the time of recovery depends on the period of time the person has been affected with the eating disorder, the type of drugs used and the frequency and effectiveness of therapy sessions.