Eating disorders are usually thought of a teen issue, but increasingly men, adult women and girls as young as seven also suffer. They don’t fit into the usual treatment programs designed for adolescent girls. In my community, there’s a recovery program for girls aged 12 – 19, and another mental health service runs a body image support group for girls up to 18. Plenty of good videos, books and web sites target young women. Trouble is, eating disorders don’t have an expiration date, uniform causes or firm boundaries. Women, and increasingly men, may seesaw between recovery and relapse throughout their lifespan. Singer Karen Carpenter died at 32 (her death started a media fascination with severe anorexia that still continues), while Margaux Hemingway and Princess Diana struggled into their thirties.

Lying in Weight: the Hidden Epidemic of Eating Disorders in Adult Women by Trisha Gura describes women with elements of EDs that linger over many years, elderly women who developed eating disorders for the first time, people who experience recurring symptoms in stressful life transitions like divorces, and a growing number of women who develop an ED in midlife or later.

ED-NOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) is a catchall diagnosis many people fall into. Examples are a person who purges but doesn’t binge, someone who obsesses about and restricts food like with anorexia but is a normal weight, and people who overexercise but are still
overweight. They may be unrecognized as serious problems but they may be. Purging damages electrolyte balance, which can lead to serious cardiac problems, and also damages the throat and teeth. Obsessions about food and extreme restrictions are pathological and torturous no matter what the weight.

An eating disorder is best treated by a specially trained therapist sensitive to its unique issues. Age and gender differences, as well as symptoms that don’t fit in the usual boxes, complicate treatment. If you’re seeking help, look for someone experienced and don’t be afraid to ask questions. National Eating Disorders Awareness Week this year is sponsored by NEDIC (Feb. 3-8) and NEDA (Feb. 24-Mar. 3). Both can give referrals to qualified helpers.

Primary doctors and therapists must look for more than a thin shape. One size doesn’t fit all.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 11:31 pm and is filed under General, Brain and Behavior, Psychotherapy, Eating Disorders, Psychology, Treatment, Children & Teens, Anorexia, Bulimia, Aging, Men's Issues, Women's Issues, Celebrities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Last reviewed:
  On February 24, 2008
  By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.