Eating Disorders Blog

Halse Andersen, a National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author, has written a young adult novel that may be an important read for anyone who is interested in the welfare of a teenage girl. The novel, Wintergirls, is narrated by Lia, an anorexic high school senior who has lost her best friend to a bulimia-related death. Lia, who is in the advanced stages of anorexia herself, believes that weighing 99 pounds at 5 feet 5 inches tall is "hideously fat." The novel reveals, among other important things, that young girls in America have access to surprising support to get and stay thin, including pro-anorexia chat rooms and websites that give tips on how to cut calories down to 500 per day (less than half of a young woman's required nutritional intake), as well as friends and classmates (Lia and her best friend vow to always be thin and support each other's eating habits). (Source: www.tampabay.com)

Labels: anorexia, girls

Posted By: Aspen Education Group