Eating Disorders

• What is an Eating Disorder?
• Warning Signs
• Types of Eating Disorders
• Risk Factors
• Classifying Eating Disorders
• Disordered Eating
• Dieting
  • Dangers of Dieting
  • Why Diets Don't Work
  • Competitive Dieting
  • Useful Links
• Eating Disorders and Children
• Eating Disorders and Adolescents
• Eating Disorders and Males
• Eating Disorders and Older People
• If You Think You May Have an Eating Disorder
• Treatment Information
• For Health Professionals
• Eating Disorders and Other Health Problems

Many dieting behaviours can be damaging to physical and psychological health. Fluctuating weight is common for most people who diet frequently, as most people re-gain all the weight they have lost after a diet. Weight loss or weight gain may lead to long-term physical side effects. As well as the physical effects, dieting can be damaging to people's emotional and psychological health, for example, people who diet frequently are more likely to experience depression.

Dieting is the number one risk factor in the development of an eating disorder. Research shows that women who diet severely, are 18 times more likely to develop an eating disorder. Women who diet moderately are five times more likely to develop an eating disorder. 

Last Updated: February 2009