Extreme dieting is usually a habit adopted by young women, though it does affect men as well. Caleb Followill should know -- the Kings of Leon lead singer struggled with body image issues for years, and it kept him from eating properly.

According to Female First, extreme insecurity lead to years of vigorous dieting and fitness. "I always thought I wasn't good enough. I'd do anything to keep my hands and mouth busy without eating," says the singer, 26, adding that he would do hundreds of push-ups, run in hot weather and drink coffee all day to suppress his appetite.

These days? He's re-affirming his love for food and practicing healthy fitness habits. Thank goodness.

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Anorexia and bulimia are eating disorders where people use unnatural methods to get or stay thin. But there's another category of eating problems; disordered eating is a term that describes any number of unhealthy eating patterns. While disordered eating is likely not as detrimental to health as anorexia or bulimia, unhealthy eating patterns can affect overall health in a number of ways. And disordered eating is more common than you may think. SELF Magazine recently conducted a reader survey and found that 65% of respondents have an unhealthy relationship with food.

So what is disordered eating exactly? The definitions are vague, but any unnatural method of eating could be lumped into the disordered eating category. For example, cutting out whole food types in an effort to control weight (such as shunning all carbs), emotional eating or turning to food for comfort, and following restrictive diets beyond what is medically necessary.

Take SELF magazine's quiz to see if you're at risk for disordered eating.

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Ever wondered what goes on inside of the head of someone who is manically dieting to reach the seemingly unattainable size 0? I'll admit, the subject fascinates me. I've never been so worried about my weight that I've had the willpower to stick to an extreme diet, which I suppose is why I'm never less than a size 6 (and happy that way.)

British Journalist Kate Spicer tried to get inside the heads of extreme dieters by doing some dieting of her own, and she's documented it on a British Documentary called Super-Skinny Me: The Race to Size Zero. She recently spoke candidly about her journey to become a size zero, and I think her account is riveting. Here are some highlights:

• On her first week of dieting: Already I enjoy the feeling of emptiness in my body and every morning I encourage more emptiness by drinking two pints of salty water to cleanse my bowel. The effect is explosive. Obviously this isn't healthy. I am also smoking a lot more.

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With 41% of the American population on a diet, it's no wonder that fad diets pop up frequently. Whether you need to lose 5 pounds or 50, looking for a magic pill or an easy solution -- in my opinion -- is human nature. But as savvy That's Fit readers know, fad diets never work in the long term. Healthy habits are lifelong habits, and fad diets rarely are sustainable for the long haul.

Here's a peak at some of the latest diet fads, including the Astrology Diet and the Blood Type Diet. The diets in the article most likely will help you lose weight for a while, but do you really want to be checking your horoscope to help you decide what to make dinner for the rest of your life?

So if dieting isn't "in the stars" then what does work? According to dieters who have taken it off and kept it off, it's this:

• eat a diet low in fat
• watch your calories
• eat breakfast
• weigh yourself often
• get 60 to 90 minutes of exercise most days of the week

No fads, no gimmicks -- just plain, old fashioned sensibility and hard work. It's not a magic pill, but unlike fad diets, it is a road map to lifelong success.

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