Eating Disorders: Everything You Need to Know (Your Personal Health)

In a society where most people have access to a healthy, nutritious diet, why do so many -- particularly girls and young women (but increasingly, boys and young men) -- develop eating disorders that can lead to illness, organ damage and death?

In this comprehensive addition to the Your Personal Health series, Dr. Jim Kirkpatrick and Dr. Paul Caldwell offer expert advice on the causes, effects and treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and a host of less familiar eating disorders.

Topics include:

• the issue of genetic predisposition
• feeding disorders of infancy and early childhood
• early warning signs of a developing disorder
• practical tips on how families can cope
• complicating factors, such as pregnancy, diabetes and substance abuse
• medical and psychological treatment options
• the recovery process

Supplemented by illustrations, case studies and personal insights from people recovering from these problems, Eating Disorders is a sensitive guide to a complex and disturbingly common problem.

Jim Kirkpatrick, MD is a family physician who has been treating eating disorders for more than 15 years. He is a founding member of the British Columbia Eating Disorder Association.

Paul Caldwell, MD, CCFP (C), has been a family practitioner for 20 years. He is the author of Sleep: Everything You Need to Know (Firefly, 1997) and the co-author of Alzheimer's Disease: Everything You Need to Know (Firefly, 1998).