We eat because it is a necessity in life but also because we enjoy it. All human behavior differs from person to person an immense way. Some eat more; some eat less, some put on weight easily, while others do not. Some people go to such extremes that they inflict harm upon themselves by eating too much or too little. All eating disorders can develop at any stage in life. Those especially at risk for eating disorders include athletes, models and average people who are blinded by stereotypes. The two most common eating disorders are Anorexia and Bulimia. .
Anorexia is a life-threatening disease defined as being a refusal to maintain body weight that is at least fifteen percent less than the individual's minimal normal weight. The term anorexia means lack of appetite, and nervosa means having to do with the nerves. Like all eating disorders, anorexia tends to occur in adolescent girls in pre or post puberty but can develop at any stage in life. Although anorexia means loss of appetite, people with the disease are usually hungry. Anorectics find it hard to think of anything but food. Feeling hungry makes them feel thin, and feeling thin makes them feel in control. An anorectic's worst fear is getting fat, and they only feel comfortable when their stomach is empty. Starving gives them the feeling of power, and they often become obsessed with the process of starving and they live in a scary world of denial and rigid discipline. The most common treatment for anorexia is in-hospital programs focused on encouraging weight gain, usually through behavior modifications. .
Bulimia nervosa is very similar to anorexia. Bulimias mean abnormal hunger, and are often referred to as "the binge-purge syndrome". For every six people suffering from an eating disorder, five of them suffer from bulimia. Although it is more common, many sufferers of bulimia also experience episodes of anorexia. A person with bulimia often has cycles of binging and purging and then punishing themselves with great amounts of exercise.
