Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: A Resource Guide

Medical and mental health professionals are in general agreement that the occurrence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia has increased dramatically during the past ten years. The revelation that public figures such as Karen Carpenter and Cherry Boone were victims has demonstrated that these debilitating illnesses occur more frequently than previously supposed. Not only has the number of relevant professional communications in psychology, psychiatry, and medicine multiplied, but popular periodicals, newspapers, and television have brought these psychiatric disorders to the attention of the general public. As a result, wards and clinics specializing in the treatment of eating disorders have opened in cities of even modest size. Support groups for sufferers and their families are becoming more common as the magnitude of these mental health problems is recognized.