Adult Female Anorexics Increasing in Numbers

I browsed through a couple of popular magazines while getting my hair cut last week and glazed in awe at the very thin, well toned bodies of Madonna, Teri Hatcher, and Jane Fonda. No one is getting the message. Women continue to face these unrealistic images of how they should look as they age. As a result they are spending more time and more money to counter the effects of getting old.

Ten years ago you didn’t hear much about women in their 30s, 40s, or 50s being anorexic. Either the issue wasn’t talked about or the condition wasn’t as evident. Apparently the data has changed significantly in the last five years.

"Some treatment centers are reporting that 50% of patients are now 40-plus," says Trisha Gura. She’s the author of the new book (April, 08), Lying in Weight: The Hidden Epidemic of Eating Disorders in Adult Women.