What would you like to know about eating disorder?

An eating disorder is a psychiatric disorder that can lead to medical complications,
which can result in death. The underlying cause of an eating disorder is
the misperception by a patient of their body image; that is, the patient perceives
themself to be too fat based on their understanding of normal weight for
their age and height.
Food becomes an obsession with the patient. Some patients diagnosed with
an eating disorder also have a co-psychiatric diagnosis, which may include
depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. The patient strives to
look perfect based on peer pressure or society’s definition of the perfect body
and ignores the reality of body image. Although eating disorders affect both
men and women, there is a higher prevalence of eating disorders in adolescent
girls who fall prey to peer pressure. Young boys and girls also develop eating
disorders when trying to improve performance in sports. For example, high
school and college wrestlers and gymnasts try to decrease weight to excel in
sports. Adult women can also develop eating disorders when they focus on
regaining a youthful appearance.