Nutrition Cafe > Understanding Eating Disorders Staying Healthy and Happy Being a teenager can be tough, and sometimes teens who are healthy try to lose weight even though they don't need to. You may feel a lot of pressure to look a certain way. Acting on this pressure may lead to eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is a form of self-starvation where a person does not eat enough food to keep healthy and does not maintain a healthy weight. Bulimia nervosa is when a person eats a lot of food and then vomits or uses other methods, such as fasting or over-exercising, to avoid gaining weight after overeating. If you would like to learn more about eating disorders, see the list of resources at the end of this article. If you are concerned about your eating habits or the way you look, it's important to talk to someone you trust. Try talking to a parent, friend, doctor, teacher, or counselor at your school. Being happy with who you are and what you look like is important for a healthy body and mind. You don't have to be an athlete, supermodel, or movie star to like who you are and to stay fit and healthy. You can take charge of your health by making small changes in your eating and physical activity habits. These changes will help you feel and look better now and be healthier for the rest of your life! Additional Reading: 10 Tips to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity For You (Brochure), 1998. International Food Information Council Foundation 1100 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 430 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 296-6540 Binge Eating Disorder National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK/WIN) NIH publication no. 99-3589, May 2000.  Everything You Need to Know About Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia R. Kubersky, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.: New York, NY. 1999. Healthy Teens: Facing the Challenges of Young Lives A. McCarthy, Bridge Communications, Inc.: Birmingham, MI. 2000. Overweight Teenagers: Don't Bear the Burden Alone M. Lebow, Perseus Publishing: Cambridge, MA. 1995. The Teenage Body Book K. McCoy and C. Wibbelsman, Penguin Putnam Inc.: New York, NY. 1999. "Teen-Directed Weight Management" by K. French and E. Strenkowski, in The Weight Control Digest. pp. 499-500, Jan./Feb. 1996. Resources and Organizations: The American Dietetic Association, 216 West Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60606 6995 1-800-366-1655 International Food Information Council Foundation 1100 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 430 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 296-6540 National Diabetes Education Program 1 Diabetes Way Bethesda, MD 20892-3560 1-800-860-8747 National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 1 Information Way Bethesda, MD 20892-3560 1-800-860-8747 or (301) 654-3327 National Eating Disorders Association 603 Stewart St. Suite 803 Seattle, WA 98101 1-800-931-2237 Overeaters Anonymous Headquarters World Services Office P.O. Box 44020 Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4020 (505) 891-2664 President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports 200 Independence Ave. SW, Room 738H Washington, DC 20201-0004 (202) 690-9000 The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a national service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, which is the Federal Government's lead agency responsible for biomedical research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN provides the general public, health professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date, science-based health information on weight control, obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional issues. WIN answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about weight control and related issues. This e-text is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health NIH Publication No. 01-4328 December 2001 Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Weight Control Information Network < Back to Nutrition Cafe