MIndy’s CallIng

ADriAnnA WilliAMS/GeTTy iMAGeS; BenneTT rAGlin
Checkup
Taking care, living well
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
is Feb. 26 to March 3. Learn how illnesses such as anorexia
and bulimia affect millions of Americans’ health
59 Health Highlights
American Heart Awareness
Month is February. Get
expert tips.
Eating disorders are illnesses that
wreak havoc on everyday eating habits,
causing behaviors such as consuming
extremely small amounts of
food or severely overeating. In the
United States, as many as 10 million
women and 1 million men have
anorexia or bulimia, and millions
more battle binge eating disorder.
Eating disorders usually develop
during a person’s teenage or young
adult years, but they can also start
in childhood or later in life.
Researchers aren’t sure what
causes eating disorders, but culture,
family pressures, and family history
may play a role. For example,
a girl is 10 to 20 times more likely to
develop anorexia if she has a brother
or sister with the disease.
60
By the Numbers
Take a closer look at weight
loss: the facts, figures,
and more.
JAN/FEB 2013 58 W ebMD.coM
These disorders aren’t simple.
They often accompany depression,
substance abuse, or anxiety disorders
and can even put a person’s
life at risk. In fact, people with
anorexia are 18 times more likely
to die early. Treatment can involve
therapy, nutritional counseling, and
medication, with the goals of maintaining
a healthy weight, eating
sensibly, and reducing thoughts
and behaviors that contribute to
the disorder.
Celebrities such as
Lady Gaga, Stacy London,
and Katie Couric
have all made headlines
recently, sharing
their struggles with eating disorders.—Heather
Hatfield
61
Health Check
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affective disorder? Take
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