Coping with Eating Disorders and Body Image

Eating disorders affect more than one million people in the UK, according to the Eating Disorders Association, mostly women, and often involve distorted body image. The increase in eating disorders has been blamed on media emphasis on super-thin models and ideal bodies, but the causes of eating disorders are often more complex and are linked to low self-esteem and issues of control. Distorted body image can impact on eating habits to an alarming degree. This book looks at anorexia, bulimia, compulsive over-eating, and body dysmorphic disorder, within the context of general body image and self-perception. It covers the health risks of poor eating, and looks at a range of treatments. The real quest is not to be thin, but to accept your body and yourself as you are, says this author.