There are two main types of eating disorders, and one that has not yet been confirmed as a disease. These are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge-Eating Disorder. These disorders are not due to a failure of will or behavior, but are real, treatable illnesses in which certain poor patterns of eating take on a life of their own.

These disorders usually co-occur with other illnesses such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders. Women are more likely to suffer from eating disorders, but they do occur in both sexes. They can happen at any age, but mostly occur in adolescence or young adulthood. Sometimes, these illnesses are serious enough to cause death, so early detection is essential in learning how to treat the patients effectively.

Eating disordered people have many different body weights. The names of the diseases do not refer to body type, but behavior. Someone...