Eating Disorders Blog

According to a story published in a British newspaper, anorexics tend to be high achievers. According to Mary George, a spokeswoman for a local charity for people with eating disorders and their families, anorexics suffer from severe feelings of inadequacy and hold themselves to impossible standards. Many people with anorexia, she says, gain a feeling of control over their lives through the disorders, although the opposite is really true. Ms. George reports that "high achievers are often the most vulnerable because of a striving for perfection that, compounded by a projected 'ideal' skinny model figure, becomes warped and deadly."

Ms. George spoke about a high-achieving young woman she knew, Charlotte Robinson, who recently died from the condition.

"Sadly it is all too common that anorexia occurs alongside being a high achiever who wants to control their bodies and strive for misguided perfection," George said.

Anorexics represent less than 10 percent of disordered eaters, but anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Anorexia primarily affects women between the ages of 12 and 25, though recent research has shown an increase among boys and men. In fact, some estimate that males comprise up to 10 percent of disordered eaters.

Regardless of gender, Ms. George said that timely diagnosis and treatment is the key.

"Early intervention is absolutely imperative as far as making a long-term recovery is concerned. Charlotte's case is indicative of the consequences of slipping through the system," she said.

(Source: New.edp24.co.uk)

Posted By: jgarcia