A third type, binge-eating disorder, has been suggested but has not yet been approved as a formal psychiatric diagnosis. 2 Eating disorders frequently develop during adolescence or early adulthood, but some reports indicate their onset can occur during childhood or later in adulthood. 3 Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other psychiatric disorders such as depression , substance abuse, and anxiety disorders . In addition, people who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including serious heart conditions and kidney failure which may lead to death. Recognition of eating disorders as real and treatable diseases, therefore, is critically important.
Females are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder.
Only an estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia 4 and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder 5 are male. An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime. People with this disorder see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin. The process of eating becomes an obsession. Unusual eating habits develop, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully weighing and portioning food.