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Article: Eating Disorders; Facts to Know.
- Article from:
- NWHRC Health Center - Eating Disorders
- Article date:
- March 8, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 National Women's Health Resource Center. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Eating disorders strike more than seven million American women each year. Ninety percent of those suffering from eating disorders are women.
Eating disorders begin early, usually during the teenage years, and can develop as early as age 12, although the average age is 17. About five percent of young women suffer from eating disorders.
Women with anorexia, though often well-liked and admired for their competence, often strive to seek approval, and may actually have very low self-esteem and feel inadequate. They may use food and dieting as ways of coping with life's stresses.
An eating disorder usually does not go away without treatment. Eating ...