Eating disorders are better understood and recognized now than in years past, but they remain a serious health risk for many people. Celebrity icons and Internet models with "perfect" body types and faces are hugely popular in all media, encouraging many consumers to strive to mimic their favorites and live up to unrealistic ideals for appearance. More than eight million people in the United States, most of whom are adolescent girls and young women, have developed eating disorders. Although the problem may seem like a physical one, these disorders are believed to be psychological in nature.

Eating Disorders, Second Edition explains major eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. It also discusses their causes and risk factors as well as available treatments.