Anorexia is an eating disorder when people starve themselves. Usually, anorexia begins around onset puberty. On this age young girls are very vulnerable and concerned about their body shape. Simple careless word you look fat! may be the reason why girls stop eating. More to say, individuals, suffering from anorexia become very skinny, but think that they are overweight.

Bulimia is an eating disorder, when person eats too much food in a short amount of time and then try to prevent weight gain by purging (throw up or taking laxatives). Bulimia may be very harmful to body: teeth become yellow and sensitive to cold or hot, skin becomes dry, irregular period and etc.

Its important to find out that person has anorexia or bulimia and give him a professional help. First of all, it is important to recognize the symptoms of anorexia or bulimia in oneself or others around us. It may be difficult to do but you should be very critical if a person loses a lot of weight in a short period of time without any physical disorder. Since people who suffer from eating disorders deny they have a problem it might be very hard to persuade them to get some help. It is very important to admit to the problem if you actually suffer with bulimia or anorexia. There are many self-help books try to find the solution.

There are professional ways to help anorexia and bulimia sufferers. All the treatment methods may be classified into three groups:

1) diet regulation;

2) medications;

3) Psychotherapy -- both individual and family therapy.

Diet regulation is firstly important to anorexics. This method of treatment is usually used in combination with psychotherapy. It is important to increase the number of calories consumed everyday -- starting with 1500 kcal per day up to 3500 4000 kcal per day. Individual as well as family or group therapy might help both anorexics and bulimia sufferers. There are special centers for treatment of eating disorders where anorexia and bulimia sufferers spend 24 hours a day until they recover.

Bear in mind that recovery may take a while since the problems are very deep beneath. To some, eating disorders may persist for years and may reoccur after treatment. However, it is very important to treat anorexia and bulimia, because these diseases may lead to serious physical complications and even death.

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