Which statement about eating disorders is true?

Which statement about eating disorders is true?

• A. Men can suffer from bulimia but not anorexia.
• B. People with bulimia deny feelings of hunger.
• C. Women who recover from anorexia often develop bulimia later.
• D. People can die from anorexia but not from bulimia.

Answer: (C)

Understanding how eating disorders evolve over time helps explain why this statement is true. Some individuals diagnosed with anorexia nervosa may later develop bulimia nervosa as weight is regained or as coping strategies shift during recovery or relapse. This progression—moving from restrictive eating to binge eating with compensatory behaviors—has been observed in clinical practice, particularly among women, making the statement about later development plausible. The other ideas don’t fit as well. Men can experience anorexia as well as bulimia, not exclusively one or the other. Bulimia is not defined by a denial of hunger; many people with bulimia feel hunger but engage in bingeing and compensatory behaviors for various reasons, including emotional distress or body-image concerns. And both conditions carry serious medical risks; deaths can occur from complications of anorexia and from bulimia, so saying that only anorexia can be fatal isn’t accurate.

Understanding how eating disorders evolve over time helps explain why this statement is true. Some individuals diagnosed with anorexia nervosa may later develop bulimia nervosa as weight is regained or as coping strategies shift during recovery or relapse. This progression—moving from restrictive eating to binge eating with compensatory behaviors—has been observed in clinical practice, particularly among women, making the statement about later development plausible.

The other ideas don’t fit as well. Men can experience anorexia as well as bulimia, not exclusively one or the other. Bulimia is not defined by a denial of hunger; many people with bulimia feel hunger but engage in bingeing and compensatory behaviors for various reasons, including emotional distress or body-image concerns. And both conditions carry serious medical risks; deaths can occur from complications of anorexia and from bulimia, so saying that only anorexia can be fatal isn’t accurate.