Many ‘eating styles’ can help us to stay healthy – but some are driven by an intense fear of becoming fat. The two most common problems are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa which you can read more about below – the symptoms are often mixed.
- UK vet schools estimate that 10% of their students are suffering from eating disorders and that the disorder has usually started before they come to university
- Statistics for the veterinary profession itself are not available
- In the general population 6.4% of adults displayed signs of an eating disorder (Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, 2007)
- Eating disorders are 7 to 10 times more common in women than in men
Anorexia & bulimia
Royal College of Psychiatrists advice on identifying and treating anorexia and bulimia