 |
|
 |
|
![[SI.com]](http://i.cnn.net/cnn/images/main/si.logo.gif){kind=logo} SPORTSJordan says farewell for the third time Shaq could miss playoff game for child's birth Ex-USOC official says athletes bent drug rules (MORE)
 All Scoreboards
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 (MORE HEADLINES)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![[CNN Money]](http://i.cnn.net/cnn/images/main/fn.logo.newsnet.gif){kind=logo}
| |
 |
|
| |
| |
EDITIONS: | |
MULTIMEDIA: | |
E-MAIL: |
Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists. Enter your address: |
DISCUSSION: |
CNN WEB SITES: |
 |
TIME INC. SITES: |
CNN NETWORKS: |
|
SITE INFO: |
WEB SERVICES: |
How to spot an eating disorder
(WebMD) -- Five million Americans suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Most of them are young women and teenage girls, although about 5 percent are male. Eating disorders can have devastating effects on health. As many as 1,000 girls and women die each year from the complications of anorexia.
"When it comes to adolescent eating disorders, it is usually the parents' responsibility to seek help. The girl with the eating disorder is often the last to know she is ill," says Amy Baker Dennis, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and director of training and education for the Academy for Eating Disorders.
Don't wait until the eating disorder is out of control before you seek help. Research shows that the sooner an eating disorder is diagnosed, the more effectively it can be treated. If you suspect a problem, arrange for an evaluation by a therapist trained and experienced in treating eating disorders. Dennis suggests you watch for these distinct warning signs of the two most common eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa is a highly restrictive eating pattern that results in gradual starvation. Teens developing anorexia will often:
Bulimia nervosa is a pattern of binge eating followed by vomiting, laxative abuse or excessive exercise in an attempt to purge the body of calories. Teens developing bulimia will often:
© 2000 Healtheon/WebMD. All rights reserved.
RELATEDS AT
:
On the teen scene: Eating disorders require medical attention
How are eating disorders treated?
Hospitalization for anorexia can do more harm than good
RELATED SITES:
See related sites about Health
Note: Pages will open in a new browser windowExternal sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.