When people hear the word eating disorder they tend to think of a young, middle-class white girl. It's quite rare to hear about older men and women struggling with eating disorders, although it is quite common. Unfortunately, eating disorders do not discriminate against race, age, gender, class, or sexual orientation. The only thing that differs is their overall experience and how healthcare providers chose to treat them. There are three main eating disorders that some people suffer from on a daily basis. The first is anorexia nervosa, a potentially life-threatening disorder that affects approximately 1.1 million women and 340,000 men over the age of eighteen. It is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, starving, and losing excessive weight. Anorexia afflicts all individuals and has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. Warning signs include dramatic weight loss, denial of hunger, excessive exercise, and low self-esteem. It is very common for anorexic people to undertake frequent body assessments to gain information about their size and shape. Additionally, health is a big concern because it can lead to heart failure, muscle loss, and weakness. Second, there is bulimia nervosa which is more common in the United States. It affects approximately 1.8 million women and 570,000 men. It consists of binges and binge eating that occur approximately twice a week. Binge eaters consume an excessive amount of food in a short amount of time because they experience a loss of control. Elimination could be done by taking laxatives to speed up the movement of food or by vomiting more often. Warning signs include unusual swelling around the jaw, discoloration of the teeth, and frequent trips to the bathroom after each meal. Binge eating and… middle of paper… therapy is usually the treatment of choice for bulimia, particularly CBT. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing or eliminating binge eating and purging in about two-thirds of patients. Today, however, uncontrolled eating disorders almost never require hospitalization. Most treatments for BED occur in hospital settings. Self-help and group psychotherapy are also a very common approach. As for drugs, they are rarely used. Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders all have negative effects on some aspects of life. They can ruin relationships leading to divorce, split families, negatively impact work, and most importantly, destroy overall health. Overall, eating disorders need to be taken seriously because a person can develop one without intending to. And then afterwards it can become a challenge to overcome it!