Table 3.

Differentiation of anorexia from bulimia

Anorexia nervosa	Bulimia nervosa
Low weight	Normal weight
Presents early	Presents late
Patient rarely seeks help	Patient may seek help
Onset early to middle teens	Onset late teens
Can be premenarcheal	Is rarely premenarcheal
Can affect boys	Usually affects girls
Acute or chronic	Fluctuating course
No previous illness	Previous anorexia nervosa
Associated with anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression	Associated with depression, self harm, substance misuse
Prognosis poor without early intervention	Up to 60% respond to specific treatments