Eating Disorders Not Necessarily About Weight

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - When you think of someone with an eating disorder you may have the image of a Hollywood actress who has lost a dramatic amount of weight or a model who is precariously thin.

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. They're not necessarily all about weight. There is a distorted body image that takes control and it can affect behavior.