Do you ever feel... like not eating or eating too much?

What Are Eating Disorders?
Not many people are completely happy with their bodies or their eating habits, but some people's relationship with food is extremely intense, and can threaten their health or their happiness.

Types of Eating Disorders:-
The most common are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, as well as compulsive eating.

	People with Anorexia Nervosa have an extreme fear of gaining weight; they think their problems are caused by how they look. They believe they are fat even though other people can see that they're not. They may starve themselves by only eating tiny quantities of food. They may also exercise a lot, or use vomiting and laxatives to reduce their weight.
	People with Bulimia Nervosa have an obsession with weight and shape, and they tend to binge and eat a lot at once. This is followed by panic. Which means that they then go on to make themselves sick, take laxatives or over exercise.
	People who eat compulsively consume much more food than their bodies need over a long period. They use food to comfort or distract themselves. They can become very overweight.

It is important to remember that eating problems can go unnoticed for a long time. Eating disorders affect many more girls than boys, but boys do suffer from them too.

Recognising An Eating Disorder:
It can be hard for people to know if a young person has an eating problem, some signs of difficulty that need to be taken seriously are:

	Regularly skipping meals
	Obsessively counting calories
	Eating only low calorie foods
	Wearing very loose clothes to hide the body
	An obsession with exercise
	Dramatic weight loss or gain
	Disappearing from the table directly after meals
	Saying they are unhappy with their body
	Large amounts of food missing from the kitchen

Deciding To Get Help:
Eating disorders are serious conditions, but with the right help and support - often family and friends as well as professionals - people can address the underlying issues and get back to a more balanced relationship with their bodies and with food.

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