Food and eating play a part in everyone's lives. We need food in order to grow healthy and strong. It also plays an important part in our community and in our time with our friends and family; whether sitting down to Sunday lunch or sharing a Mars bar with a mate, since ancient times people have recognised that there's something about eating together that builds friendship and trust.

A lot of us have had an up and down relationship with food, and this is often true in our teens and early twenties as we grow and change our tastes and experiment to find out what we like and dislike in all sorts of areas. As people grow, their body shape changes too. Some will try eating more, or less, than usual, in order to change their shape or to improve their health. Within reason this is normal and healthy.

However, some eating patterns can be damaging; becoming what we call "eating disorders". Some people eat too much; others refuse to eat at all. Some eat and then purge themselves either by being sick or taking laxatives. Eating in these dangerous ways over a period of time can become emotionally and physically damaging.

Eating disorders are often a way of coping with feelings that are making someone unhappy or depressed. Click on any of the links to find out more.

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