Disordered eating among American adolescent females represents a significant health issue in our current cultural climate. Disordered eating receives insufficient attention, however, due to the public's unfamiliarity with symptoms and consequences, absence of treatment options, and unreliable instrumentation to detect disordered eating. Disordered eating differs from an eating disorder. While the term "eating disorder" denotes a clinically diagnosable disease, the term "disordered eating" refers to a pattern of eating that can lead to an eating disorder. Young females who engage in disordered eating face several times greater risk than their non-disordered eating counterparts to develop an eating disorder; therefore, understanding the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences associated with disordered eating proves necessary for developing effective prevention programs. Factors associated with the prevalence of disordered eating include age, weight, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Consequences of disordered eating include nutritional deficiencies, growth retardation, decreased metabolism, and susceptibility to binge eating behaviors. Disordered eating appears related to other health-compromising behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, suicide attempts, and unprotected sexual activity. Family, peers, and media also play significant roles in the development of disordered eating. This review explores these factors and offers suggestions for developing effective intervention programs for disordered eating.