Anorexia increasingly affecting older women
12 May 2008
With images of middle-aged celebrities such as super-toned Madonna and stick-thin Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher, a new wave of older women showing signs of anorexia has developed, experts observe.
Susan Ringwood, chief executive of national eating disorders charity Beat, said: "Ten years ago, there were very few women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and older who were diagnosed with anorexia. That has changed significantly, especially in the past five years."
Although anorexia is widely believed to have its roots in a girl's formative years, experts in the eating disorder are witnessing a growing of number of cases in the UK where the disease manifests itself in older women.
In the US, according to Trisha Gura, author of Lying In Weight: The Hidden Epidemic Of Eating Disorders In Adult Women, some treatment centres are reporting that half of patients are over the age of 40.
Dr Peter Rowan, a consultant who specialises in eating disorders at Cygnet Healthcare, commented: "In the main, women are likely to grow out of an eating disorder if it is fairly mild but the increasing focus of women on their appearance as they get older may influence this trend adversely."
Iconic actress Jane Fonda reportedly revealed her real life battle with anorexia.
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