Bulimia nervosa went unacknowledged, lacking proper research, until after the 1970s,
when the death of Karen Carpenter, a beloved musician and longtime sufferer of
anorexia, hit reality for Americans in terms of the severity behind eating
disorders.(7)(2) Today, bulimia is the most commonly treated eating disorder next to
BED, short for binge eating disorder.(7) While Latinas and other women of color remain
largely excluded from the majority of the studies involving eating disorders among
women, reports show that Latinas have equal or greater concerns regarding body
image as their Anglo peers.(4) Apparently, many cases of eating disorders among
minority women often go unreported. (4) African American women, however, have
received more attention in studies regarding disordered eating than Asian and Hispanic
women alike. (7) Based on one particular study of approximately 900 middle school
girls in northern California, Latinas, followed by Asians, had the greatest levels of body
dissatisfaction out of all the ethnic groups including Anglo girls.(4)
