There are two main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, and bulimia, (McCarthy 52). Anorexia nervosa is self-starvation -- an obsession with thinness. It is a potentially life-threatening disorder that leads a person to refuse to eat enough to maintain a normal body weight. Bulimia is characterized bybinge eating followed by purging. Purging leads to many long-term heath effects.

Many different factors cause eating disorders. They are a serious signal that something is wrong psychologically. If an eating disorder goes unnoticed or untreated, it can lead to health problems rang

The "binge-purge syndrome" usually affects young women in their twenties and thirties, but men also suffer from this disorder (Berelowite). Like anorexics, bulimics feel the need to control something; by controlling their weight, they achieve this sense of power. Bulimics suffer from swollen salivary glands and, increased dental problems. They often excuse themselves to go to the bathroom after a meal, and become obsessed with food.

Eating disorders kill up to ten percent of their victims (Siegal 22). Starvation, cardiac arrest, and suicide account for most eating related deaths. As anorexics starves himself or herself, the body tries to protect its vital organs; the heart and brain. The body is so hungry that it starts to eat itself.

ing from skin irritation and deterioration, hair loss, to even more serious problems such as stunted growth, thinning bones, damage to teeth and internal organs, infertility and even death.

Bulimarexia is a combination of both of the diseases. A bulimarexic has te

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