This is a well written and easy to read
book for those with anorexia, their carer’s and families. The book
is well researched and detailed. It is practical and informative.
It isn’t a textbook but would also be of value to professionals who
work with those with anorexia. It begins by exploring the
core symptoms of anorexia and bulimia nervosa and the diagnostic
criteria for making a diagnosis. It sets the disease in a
historical context and explores some of the theories of why there
is a wide variation in incidence worldwide. It takes a wider view
of the causes of eating disorders, looking at the predisposing,
precipitating and maintaining factors.
Importantly, it focuses on the impact
of eating disorders on physical health and the role of starvation
as a possible maintaining factor for the disorder. It revisits the
information gained on the effects of starvation in the Minnesota
experiments. This is vital information for those with anorexia to
understand, explaining the role of starvation as a maintaining
factor, and a reason for the mental and physical effects of the
illness. The treatment sections are practical, with an emphasis on
the importance of weight restoration. There is a comprehensive
explanation of the types of psychological therapies available.
Finally, a chapter of prevention of relapse and life without
anorexia.
Lucy Morley