The eating disorders - anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and obesity - affect many thousands of people each year, particularly young women. Eating disorders are a subject which parents today cannot study enough; it is believed that over 1 million people in the UK alone have a significant problem with an eating disorder and that up to 90,000 of those are recieving treatment. Eating Disorders: The Facts is a guide to the three major eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia and obesity. This comprehensive guide considers why eating disorders occur, and then looks at each in turn, describing the eating behaviours, diagnosis, and treatments available. The opening chapters tackle adolescent eating behaviours and the sexual maturation process, and further chapters look at the problems that the family or friends of someone with an eating disorder may face, providing advice on how they can cope and provide support and help for the sufferer. This sixth edition contains numerous case history outlines, which provide surprising insights into the mind of the eating disorder sufferer, making it easier for patients and their families to read and dip into as needed.Sympathetically and clearly written, the book provides an authoritative resource on eating disorders, one that will prove valuable for sufferers and their families.