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About 2 million Americans--mostly women and girls--suffer from eating disorders. A further unknown number have dangerous eating and dieting habits--taking diet pills, laxatives or diuretics and following extreme fad diets--which may not be as dangerous as an eating disorder, but can still have significantly bad effects.
Eating disorders started gaining media exposure in the 1980s. Some people have blamed the media for glorifying young, super-thin models, and for pressuring young women to achieve those "ideal" body types.
Eating or not eating in an obsessed manner has little to do with true hunger. It can be a way to feel in control, to get attention, to punish parents or even to "reward" yourself. Or you may have the impression that weight will influence your popularity.
In the most extreme cases, people starve or overeat themselves to death. Sufferers of eating disorders can be any weight (but their weight fluctuates radically). They may even appear "average"--but that doesn't mean they suffer less or are in any less danger.
Whatever the reason for them, eating disorders are very dangerous behavioral patterns that in the end only bring pain.
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