Eating Disorders

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Overview

An eating disorder is a disturbance in eating behavior. Anorexia nervosa (anorexia) and bulimia nervosa (bulimia) are the eating disorders that are studied most often, and researchers estimate that nearly 7 million women in the United States suffer from anorexia or bulimia. A newly-recognized condition known as binge-eating disorder is considered the most common eating disorder. In the United States, it occurs in 0.7% to 4% of the population, meaning that 1 to 4 out of every 100 people have the disorder.

Eating disorders affect women more often than men, but approximately 1 million men in the United States suffer from anorexia or bulimia, and millions more have binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders are more prevalent in industrialized countries and according to the American Psychiatric Association, they are most common in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa.

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