EATING disorders are a common problem, yet they often go unnoticed, undiagnosed or untreated.

Anorexia, binge eating and bulimia nervosa are types of eating disorders. They are characterised by an abnormal attitude towards food, difficulty controlling how much is eaten, and making unhealthy choices about food that put an individual's health at risk.

Who is affected by eating disorders?

While it is true that eating disorders are most common in teenage girls, around 10 per cent of cases affect men, and it is not uncommon for a problem to develop in middle age.

Causes

There is unlikely to be one causal factor of an eating disorder, and problems with food can begin when eating is used to cope with feelings of boredom, anxiety, anger, loneliness or guilt.

Controlling what is eaten can become a way of controlling difficult emotions or coping with painful situations. There is unlikely to be a single cause, but a range of factors that leave people feeling unable to cope. These can include: Difficult family relationships; The death of a loved one; Stress; Problems at work, school or university; Low self-esteem; A traumatic life experience.

Research shows an individual's genetic make-up may also play a part and abnormal levels of some brain chemicals have been linked to eating disorders.

More about Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa means loss of appetite for nervous reasons'. However, this is misleading because people with anorexia nervosa may have a normal appetite, but drastically control their eating so as not to satisfy their appetite.

Although it is likely that there is some link to the importance modern society places on being thin, the causes of anorexia nervosa are complex and linked to a variety of factors.

The symptoms of anorexia nervosa include, but are not limited to, loss of weight and changes in other physical features, fainting, dizzy spells and feeling cold, insomnia and fatigue; together with changes in personality and behaviour including an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body shape.

Anorexia Nervosa is a serious and complex illness and usually requires specialist medical care.

More about Bulimia

Bulimia - known medically as bulimia nervosa - is an eating disorder marked by cycles of binge eating of excessive quantities of food, followed by purging using self-induced vomiting, laxatives or diuretics. In some cases a person with bulimia may use fasting or excessive exercise to counteract their binge eating. An individual with bulimia nervosa is likely to be preoccupied with food. They may have episodes when they crave food and eat large amounts of food in secret.

People with bulimia are often of normal weight, so the condition can be difficult for friends or family to recognise.

The exact cause of bulimia nervosa is unknown, although traumatic life experiences may be a key factor and it is linked with other factors including depression, stress or low self-esteem.

The symptoms of bulimia include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in weight, fatigue, depression, anxiety and constipation; and signs include a fear of weight gain, distorted perception of body size and shape, fasting for periods of time, excessive exercising and using laxatives or other techniques to counteract bingeing. Bulimia is a serious and complex illness and usually requires specialist medical care.

Recovery

Recovering from an eating disorder can take a long time and it is important that the individual wants to get better. The support of family and friends is very valuable. Specialist care can help to deal with underlying psychological causes and physical effects of the condition. There are also support and self-help groups, and personal and telephone counselling services that can offer help.

For further information

Eating Disorders Association www.b-eat.co.uk/Home Eating Disorder Awareness Week - Monday February 25 to Sunday March 2, 2008 NHS Direct www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk tel: 0845 46 47