ife, and has been hospitalized just as many times. The past 5 years have had their ups and downs, but anorexia has always been a part of them. I think if not for her loving and endlessly devoted father and brothers, I would have never met her, because she would never have lived that long. Even today, she tries, she tries so very hard to escape from her cell. If it were only possible for you to hear her voice, the sadness when she cries of how much she wants to let go of anorexia, to forever forget the pain it has caused her, it would make even the strongest man in the world weep. It is not from pity that one would sob, but rather from knowingly not being able to do anything about what has encased her soul. She is quite possibly the most mentally strong person I have ever met. There are approximately eight million people out there like her, who suffer from this disease, which cannot be cured with a magic wand or medication. It is this friend I talk about that represents a growing number of people who suffer, yet are frustratingly helpless. Anorexia is not a new disorder; it can be traced back as far as the 13th century. It was seen quite often with religious women who were actually canonized as being saints for their fasting practices. (DATA FROM BELL, 1985, DAVIS &BELL, 1985, ZERBE, 1995) These women were often referred to as "holy anorexics". The cultures that contained these young women valued spiritual health, fasting, and self-denial. Holy anorexia made those women highly valued in status in both church and society. When the definition of holiness was altered with the changing values in the world, so eventually was the incidence of holy anorexia. It was not until the late 20th century that anorexia rapidly claimed more people. In the late 1800's, women who were a little bit pudgy were considered to be of fine stock, because they did not have to work. They were considered the wealthiest. As a result, they were ...
