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Eating disorders are characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with food and/or body weight.

Eating disorders are rooted in complex emotional issues that center on self-esteem and pervasive societal messages that equate thinness with happiness. Eating disorders usually surface in adolescence, and more than 90% of sufferers are female, although the incidence among males appears to be growing. Because eating disorders are neither purely physical nor purely psychological, effective treatment must include both medical management and psychotherapy. The earlier a diagnosis is made and treatment is started, the better the chances of a successful outcome.

The two most common...