ABSTRACT
Recent explanations of eating disorders are multifactorial. The development of an eating disorder is a way of gaining control. There have been an enormous variety of theories for the etiology of eating disorders. The families of eating disorder patients often show a history of pressure on the child towards academic and personal achievement. Some researchers and clinicians have drawn attention to disturbed patterns of interaction in the families of eating disorder patients, particularly concerning the expression of emotion. The main characteristic of bulimia nervosa is binge eating, accompanied by compensatory calorie-losing behavior which may allow the maintenance of a normal body weight. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by binge eating, with vomiting or laxative use. In binge-eating/purging type anorexia nervosa, sufferers engage in binge eating and/or purging. The person usually feels unable to control the eating, and the relief of tension is followed by guilt and depression.
