Eating Disorders

Eating disorders attract a considerable amount of media attention, and are currently being diagnosed more frequently. In general they affect more women than men, but the reasons why some women develop these disorders are not always very well understood. In this book the relationship between eating disorders and sexuality is discussed, and there is up-to-date information on diagnosis and treatment. The specific conditions anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and obesity are then dealt with in turn. The book is written for people suffering from an eating disorder, for their families, and for health professionals. This new edition features many case histories, as told by the patients themselves, and reflects the changes in treatment of eating disorders, for example by less authoritarian treatment programmes being administered by teams of health professionals (rather than by individual doctors). The authors emphasize the importance of learning sensible eating and exercise patterns, and the role of self-help groups for those recovering from eating disorders.