Eating disorders can affect 10 million women and 1 million men in the United States (Stephen A. Lenz, 3). The United States is a wealthy country and eating disorders are more common in wealthy countries (Meghan Rosen, 2). The most common eating disorder is anorexia. The second most common cause is bulimia. Many people are affected by these diseases every day. People with these disorders experience a nightmare every day. The people most affected by these disorders are between 15 and 19 years old (Meghan Rosen, 2 years old), and most adolescents keep it to themselves. They suffer from these disorders daily and the parents have no idea because they do not know the signs of anorexia or bulimia. I believe there should be more education about eating disorders among parents in order to prevent them. But what are anorexia and bulimia? Anorexia is the deadliest of all mental disorders. This disorder involves malnutrition, excessive weight loss, and poor thinking about eating. People suffering from anorexia are extremely afraid of gaining weight and stick to extreme diets or exercise programs to lose weight. Many people with anorexic feel out of control. They can use food, diet and control their weight to feel powerful. On the other hand, bulimia is different from anorexia. Anorexia means fasting and extreme exercise, while bulimia means bingeing and purging. Bulimia is an eating disorder caused by frequent episodes of binge eating followed by frantic efforts to avoid gaining weight. Bulimia is currently classified as a separate psychiatric disorder. Bulimia can be caused by poor body image, low self-esteem, a history of trauma or abuse, major life changes, or appearance-focused occupations or activities. Most people with bulimia are overweight. Bulimia...... middle of paper...... Stephen, et al. “Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for the Treatment of Eating Disorders.” Journal of Consulting and Development 92.1 (2014): 26-35. Premier Academic Research. Internet. April 3, 2014. Robinson, Paul et al. “Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of mentalization-based therapy versus specialized supportive clinical management in patients with both eating disorders and borderline personality disorder symptoms.” BMC Psychiatry 14.1 (2014): 1-21. Premier Academic Research. Internet. April 3, 2014.Graves, Bonnie. "Chapter Four: What causes anorexia?" Anorexia. 29. np: Capstone Press, 2000. Source Santé – General public edition. Internet. April 3, 2014. Smith, Melinda and Jeanne Segal. “Bulimia Nervosa.” : Signs, symptoms, treatment and help. Np, and Web. April 14. 2014.