Both clinical research and personal anecdotes confirm that each of the three main eating disorders causes psychological strain and serious health risks. Anorexics are prone to abdominal pain, lethargy, and reduced bone density, and more than ten percent die prematurely due to starvation, suicide, or heart problems. The recurrent vomiting associated with bulimia erodes teeth enamel and can cause fatal damage to the heart, stomach, and esophagus. Binge eating disorder frequently results in obesity, which can lead in turn to health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gallbladder disease, and hypertension, among others.

Although almost everyone agrees that eating disorders have destructive potential, not everyone believes that the disorders are as serious as they are portrayed by the media. In fact, some commentators warn that too much focus on eating disorders, particularly anorexia and bulimia, can be dangerous because...