There are clinics dedicated solely to eating disorders in Britain and the United States. In Australia, ABNA leads the way in having been established in South Australia in 1983 by Mrs Joyce Williams. There are now support groups and clinics in most other States of Australia. The anorexic or bulimic sufferer may be either sex, but the smaller percentage are male. However, the male percentage is on the increase.
Most sufferers come from middle and upper income families, and are usually highly intelligent.
Anorexic and bulimic people are often perfectionists, with unrealistically high expectations. They frequently lack self esteem, with feelings of ineffectiveness and a strong need for other peoples' approval. There is at present no generally accepted view of the causes of Anorexia and Bulimia. Most authorities believe the problem to be psychologically based, possibly stemming from family and social pressures, or other forms of stress in our modern environment. Where a high value is placed on slimness, women are more likely to be judged on their appearance, against a heavy background of high carbohydrate 'junk' food promotion.