Eating Disorders are one of the more recently recognized mental health problems. For example, anorexia nervosa affects approximately 2% of a population. Seen in context, eating disorders are now known to occur twice as commonly as schizophrenia.

Eating disorders are often mistakenly considered a result of faulty eating habits. In reality It is virtually always a manifestation of deep psychological crises, usually as a result of abuse, sexual assault or tension between children and parents. Treatment is often long-term, intensive and with a very strong input of psychotherapy.

International research has shown that eating disorders should be considered very dangerous mental illnesses: of all the young girls and women with anorexia, ten percent eventually die of the condition. As a consequence, the illness is more deadly than schizophrenia. Suicide is an additional danger in these cases.

A growing number of mostly women seek assistance. However, due to the stigma of mental health problems in general and the fact that in many countries eating disorders are seen as a "luxury problem", most victims of the illness do not seek professional help, thereby risking their health and sometimes their lives.