Eating Disorders

A potentially risky disturbance in the eating patterns, it generally has an underlying psychosomatic basis, but is sometimes caused by a malfunction of the starvation centre in the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. Eating disorders are generally classified into two main groups: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. In truth there is a spectrum of disorders and it is not always easy to assign an exacting disorder neatly into either of the 2 major groups. Patients who do not get together the entire criterion for either anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa are said to experience an 'eating disorder not otherwise specified' (NOS).

Eating disorders of any kind are more common among females than males. More than 90 per cent of those with eating disorders are women, mainly young people. Many sociologists and psychiatrists responsibility the disorders on the obsession of Western culture with slimness and the negative stereotyping of women who are overweight. Women are repeatedly bombarded with images from the media supporting the notion that they have to be slim to be beautiful, healthy, successful, and happy.