The Associated Press is running a great piece on the increasing amount of older women (30+) seeking treatment for anorexia. Experts believe that it is likely due to increasing pressure on women as well as greater awareness. Furthermore, women in this age group seem to fall into three categories:
Some have had an eating disorder for years. Others had a disorder in remission that resurfaced because of new stress in life, such as a divorce or loss of a parent. A third group, the smallest of the three, includes women who develop an eating disorder late in life.
All of this is very logical since disordered eating is often in response to significant stress, and middle-aged women may experience new levels of stress that either bring symptoms back and/or other coping strategies break down. Hopefully articles like this continue to encourage people to find help.
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4 Comments to
“Anorexia Not Just A Problem for Young Women”
My name is Trisha Gura and I am author of “Lying in Weight: the Hidden Epidemic of Eating Disorders in Adult Women” (Harper Collins, May 2007). While the media continues to focus on eating disorders in teenagers, that focus has created a myth: when the girls get older, their eating disorders evaporate. The truth is that nearly 2/3 of individuals with eating disorders do not fully recover. The illness, or some remnant of it, remains, triggered by stresses and huge life transitions, i.e. marriage, pregnancy, parenting, mid and late life.
If it helps anyone, I just wrote a blog on Huffington Post about these stories. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trisha-gura/not-just-for-teens_b_57416.html
We need to create better awareness so as not to neglect older women and their needs.
Trisha Gura
trishagura.com
My name is Trisha Gura and I am author of “Lying in Weight: the Hidden Epidemic of Eating Disorders in Adult Women” (Harper Collins, May 2007). While the media continues to focus on eating disorders in teenagers, that focus has created a myth: when the girls get older, their eating disorders evaporate. The truth is that nearly 2/3 of individuals with eating disorders do not fully recover. The illness, or some remnant of it, remains, triggered by stresses and huge life transitions, i.e. marriage, pregnancy, parenting, mid and late life.
If it helps anyone, I just wrote a blog on Huffington Post about these stories. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trisha-gura/not-just-for-teens_b_57416.html
We need to create better awareness so as not to neglect older women and their needs.
Trisha Gura
trishagura.com
I am not sure of this myth of older owmen having eating disorders is increasing. But quite possible. Alot to do with never fully recovered, so easy to dfall prey back into it when it gest tough. I, myself am 29, have had anorexia since l was 15. Doing pretty well for a few years but past months this year anorexia in my life seem to be stronger. This is why it is sounds so possible.
I am 56 a health professional and I have suffered from disordered eating most of my life. My BMI is currently 17 so even I know this is not acceptable and I don’t even like the way I look, but (and this is the crunch) when I am stressed by anything eating is the first thing to go. Because closing my mouth and refusing food is the most basic and the most rejecting thing I can do. You have prepared food for me but you have made me angry so I reject your love by refusing to swallow.
Very basic and very primitive I would say.
But of course not as simple as that, in my case like so many others it is tied up with having being abused as a child, therefore being made to feel powerless.
The interesting thing is most women envy my shape when I am dressed and ask me how they can achieve it. Easy I say just give up food and over exercise.
I have been threatened with treatment and I have managed to put weight on but as soon as I am left alone I go back to my old ways. No amount of talk or therapy/drugs is every going to change me because I suspect that I am too old and too fearful of change. This is all I know
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 23 Jul 2007
