Characteristics common to females who exhibit anorexic or bulimic behavior: a review of current literature.

This paper reviews recent literature on the characteristics of females who exhibit anorexic or bulimic symptoms. Although researchers categorize bulimics as either binge/restrictors or binge/purgers, this paper does not distinguish between the two with regard to characteristics. Personal, cognitive, and physical characteristics, as well as external influences, are examined for each. An additional purpose of the paper is to provide an overview of risk factors that may predispose an individual to bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa.