Paper dials with specific characteristics of eating disorders in childhood and in early adolescence. Eating disorders can come in all ages, however, they occur most frequently in adolescents and in young adults. Less frequently they appear in childhood and in adolescence (only about 5 % of patients are children below 12 years) but they represent serious challenge to the development process both at the biological and psychosocial level. Paper gives characteristic signs of eating disorders in children and specific syndromes, which occur in that developmental stage.

        Key words: eating disorders, body weight, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, risk factors of obesity, BMI (body mass index), endorphins.