Women are more likely than men to have an eating disorder.
Anorexia is characterized by a preoccupation with dieting, body shape, and weight. Anorexics harbor intense fear of weight gain and attempt to combat these fears by restricting the amount of calories consumed and by exercising. Bulimia is characterized by episodes of rapid consumption of large amounts of food followed by uncomfortable feelings such as loss of control, guilt, depression, or fear of gaining weight. The bulimic's view of self is powerfully influenced by body shape and weight, and therefore the fear of gaining weight is particularly distressful. The person struggling with bulimic symptoms is usually aware of the strange nature of these behaviors but is unable to refrain from such behavior.