Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by self-starvation, a distorted body image, and low body weight (Axia 2009). The health problems associated with anorexia nervosa are starvation; which affects the mental functions of the body, depletion of fat stores, wasting of muscles, estrogen levels drop and menstruation becomes irregular or stops. In addition, abnormalities in electrolyte balance, dehydration, edema, cardiac abnormalities, absence of ketones due to fat-store depletion, and infections, which further increases nutritional needs, are also health problems associated with anorexia nervosa.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by the consumption of large amounts of food at one time (binge eating), followed by purging behaviors such as vomiting and the use of laxatives to eliminate food or energy from the body (Axia 2009). The health problems associated with bulimia nervosa are tooth decay, sores in the mouth and on the lips, swollen jaws and salivary glands; irritation of the throat, esophageal inflammation, and changes in stomach capacity and stomach emptying. In addition, purging by vomiting brings stomach acid into the mouth, force of vomiting causes broken blood vessels in the face, the electrolytes are imbalanced; dehydration, muscle weakness, and menstrual irregularities occurs as well. Laxative and diuretic abuse can also cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance along with rectal bleeding when laxatives are overused.

Binge eating is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating in the absence of purging behavior (Axia 2009). The health problems associated with binge-eating are those of the affects of being overweight such as heart conditions.

From a psychological standpoint, eating disorders may lead to health problems because of the genetics, psychological, social and cultural factors. Inherited abnormalities in the levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which affects food intake, and in levels of the hormone leptin, which helps regulate body weight, have been, hypothesized to contribute to the behaviors typical of anorexia and bulimia. Binge-eating disorder may be, linked to a defect in a gene called the melanocortin 4 receptor gene. The protein made by this gene helps control hunger and satiety. If this gene is abnormal and makes too little of this protein, the body feels too much hunger. These are complex diseases, which are the result of the interaction of multiple genes with the environment. When placed in the right environment, an individual who carries such genes will be more likely to develop an eating disorder (Axia 2009).