Eating disorders are complex diseases. Many things contribute to their development. The media makes the weakness seem charming and desirable, but people do not develop eating disorders because they try to attract attention or look like fashion models. Eating disorders can have very serious and harmful effects on young people and their families. Young people with eating disorders are often lonely and terrified. Families often do not know what to do. There may be a delay between the onset of an eating disorder and the decision to seek help. The person with the problem may feel more and more isolated. She may think that others cannot understand or help her.

Anorexia nervosa
- She weighs less than normal and usually has a continuous weight loss because she limits her food intake.
- He may exercise too much to burn unwanted calories.
- She is usually preoccupied with food and constantly thinks about food and calories. He can cook for others.
- Can develop rituals around food and eating, such as cutting food into small pieces and prolonged consumption.
- He often has a body image disorder. She feels fat and can be seen even when she is very thin.
- He usually has unrealistic thinking patterns. "Everything will be fine as long as I'm weak."

Bulimia nervosa
The main feature of this eating disorder is regular overeating, followed by efforts to compensate or prevent possible weight gain.
A person with bulimia nervosa:
- He feels a loss of control over food and is afraid he won't be able to stop.
- May try to avoid weight gain through purging behaviors, such as vigorous exercise or fasting.
- It usually falls within a medium weight range, although the weight can fluctuate a lot over time.

What causes these eating disorders?
Many things contribute to an eating disorder: Individual factors. The young person at risk is often a perfectionist and has long felt "not good enough". He has low self-esteem and doubts himself. He may not know the best weight range for himself and use the "numbers" of weight to measure how he feels about himself. She is sensitive to the needs of others, but has difficulty seeing and talking about her own needs and feelings.

Family factors
Families are not the cause of eating disorders. However, the way family members communicate can be a contributing factor to their emergence. As a family struggles with an eating disorder, communication can become tense and explosive.

Cultural factors
These factors include the many pressures that women and men face in our society. For example, we expect women to be attractive and assertive. We encourage them to find a career and, at the same time, to be "super-mothers". And all around us, the message on the covers of magazines, movies, TV and billboards is "thin is beautiful." Therefore, it is not uncommon for a young woman to want to lose weight and decide to lose weight. At first, friends and family may encourage and support your diet. But dieting can lead to a serious eating disorder in a young person with other risk factors.

Recovery from eating disorders
With the help of treatment, most people with eating disorders recover well, so it is important to have a positive attitude towards their own recovery journey. At least 50% of people with bulimia nervosa or compulsive eating disorder fully recover from treatment. It may take some time to recover - maybe up to five years if you have anorexia nervosa. For some people, the eating disorder may return for a period of time (for example, during a period of stress). Because it takes time to recover, it is important to establish an ongoing relationship with a trusted health care professional.

What is the treatment for eating disorders?
Treatment for eating disorders involves a healthy diet along with medical care and psychological treatment. Some people may also be prescribed medication.