by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough
Eating disorders are often portrayed as dramatic problems that are impossible to miss, leading to disastrous outcomes. There is no doubt that there are many cases like this, but in most cases eating disorders go unnoticed for prolonged periods of time.
Both anorexia and bulimia can be hidden until there are large changes in body weight and muscle wasting. In fact, in the case of bulimia, where a person binges and then purges themselves of food it can be totally missed.
A major point to understand about eating disorders is that they are psychological problems, not necessarily all about weight. There is a distorted body image that takes control and affects behavior.
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