Author(s): Melinda Hutchings

For Sufferers

Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness in developed societies - ten times more common than insulin-dependent diabetes. It causes severe depression, psychological distress, family disruption and physical morbidity - and has the highest mortality rate of a functional psychiatric illness. The average length of an eating disorder is five years. 20 percent of sufferers will die, and far fewer than half the remainder will make a full recovery. Anorexia is a mysterious, complex illness. So is understanding it. This book helps identify the problem and provides a lucid step-by-step guide through the recovery process.