eating disorders
Anorexia Expands to Over-40 Group
By Heather Sells
CBN News Reporter
CBN.com – (CBN News) - A new trend for anorexia patients is catching many off-guard. Experts say up to three million middle-aged women in this country suffer from anorexia or bulimia.
Doctors say that anorexia in mid-life has less to do with vanity and more to do with the pressures women face. For Toni Saiber, a divorce led her down the path of under-eating, over-exercising and losing more and more weight.
At her worst, she weighed 85 pounds and lapsed into a coma.
“Once you get to a certain point, you can't stop,” Saiber explained. “You get a very euphoric feeling just looking at that scale and watching it go down every morning.”
For Naomi Field, two children and a busy life left her feeling out of control. She found the one thing she could control was her weight. She ended up exercising six times a day and dropped to a girl’s size 8.
Field said, “It was like an addiction. And it did become a friend to me. It was somewhere I went when I couldn't cope.”
Experts say that one of out every 10 eating disorder patients is over 40. For them, specific mid-life events are the triggers.
“They've experienced the divorce, the death of a parent or both parents, a traumatic illness like breast cancer, children leaving home. Any woman with low self-esteem who has gone through that kind of life stressor is at risk,” stated Dr. Ed Cumella of the Remuda Ranch Center for Anorexia and Bulimia.
Doctors are concerned because anorexia can lead to malnutrition, osteoporosis, and heart problems.
For Field, her battle with anorexia led to three months of rehab and an optimistic outlook for her future. Toni regained her health and more than 30 pounds with intense psychotherapy and nutritional counseling.
She remarked, “It's an issue for me every day. It's getting easier, but I think it will always be with me.”
While more middle-aged women like Saiber are seeking help, experts note that the relapse rate for anorexia is more than 40 percent.
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