Although Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are the two major eating disorders, the most people with eating problems have aspects of both or move between from one to the other.

Anorexia usually involves extreme weight loss as a result of rigid diet or starvation.

A person with anorexia may also become compulsive with exercise. Some of you may also engage in binge eating and self-induced vomiting, or the misuse of laxatives.

Females with anorexia will suffer from amenorrhea, the absence of menstrual cycles.

People with anorexia have an intense fear of becoming fat and a disturbed perception of their body weight.

People with anorexia are usually preoccupied with food and may become picky eaters.

People with bulimia binge on food over a short period of time followed by episodes of dieting, self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse.

This cycle may be repeated several times during one day or week.

People with bulimia are afraid of becoming fat. Some of them manage to maintain their weight within the normal range.

The behaviour of a person with bulimia is characterised by high impulsivity.

Some of you may also show poor impulse control in other areas such as drug abuse, self-harm and stealing.

Both anorexia and bulimia are more commonly found in teenage girls and women.

People with eating disorders may also have other difficulties such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, which can complicate their recovery.