In recognition of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (Feb. 24-March 1), here’s some off-the-beaten-path looks at these serious (sometimes fatal) mental illnesses.

At World of Psychology, Sandra Kiume points out that disorders such as anorexia and bulimia occur in middle-aged and elderly women, as well as men of all ages. Girls and boys who fought a disorder when they were teens often continue to struggle as adults and may relapse.
And there’s another category, called “ED-NOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified),” that includes people with problematic behaviors who may still look healthy.

Meanwhile, my classmate Andrea Bartz reports that social-networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook are being asked to remove groups that offer people “advice” on how to keep up their eating disorder. These groups are the younger siblings of Web sites that have existed for awhile but are no less disturbing.

Knowing the facts about what causes eating disorders, as well as what obstacles are out there for people in recovery, is essential for successful treatment and prevention.
So become aware. You could save someone’s life!