Eating Disorders

Disordered eating is widespread in the American population, but frank eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, which is also called binge-eating, now afflict one in ten persons. Most are young women in their teens and 20s,  but the disorders are also increasing among young men. There is no magic cure for these conditions, which are often resistant to treatment, and anorexia can be acutely life-threatening. Both culturally mediated body-image concerns and personality traits like perfectionism are thought to play a large role in creating eating disorders.