The most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and compulsive overeating. Anorexics starve themselves by consuming very little food and therefore intake dangerously few calories. Anorexics, as a result of their disorder, may experience increased susceptibility to infections, stress fractures, severe chemical imbalances, hair loss, blackouts, weakness of the heart muscle and even death.
Bulimics often binge to drown out feelings of anger, pain, guilt or trauma.
Bulimics, as a result of their disorder, may experience dehydration, constipation and digestive disorders, severe dental problems, muscle weakness, ulcers, and heart irregularities. Some anorexics periodically binge and purge like bulimics. Like bulimics, compulsive overeaters also binge to drown out feelings of anger, pain, guilt, or trauma. Compulsive overeaters are usually overweight and may become obese. As a result of their obesity, compulsive overeaters may experience shortness of breath, high blood pressure, and joint problems.