Eating disorders are not a fad diet or an experiment to lose weight, but they are serious complex disorders that can take many years to recover from. Eating disorders affect five percent of women and one percent of men in the United States. The South Carolina Mental Health Department reports that five to ten percent of girls with eating disorders will die within ten years of having the disease. ("Statstics Eating" INT) Teenagers need to be aware of the warning signs, risk factors, and long and short term consequences of eating disorders.