tie her in an unhealthy way to her parents, who in turn, do not wish to let her grow into personal independence. Clearly, there is no one set reason for girls' and adolescents' difficulties with eating disorders. They are many and complex. Some of the roots are in society itself - a society that teaches women to acquiesce to pressures and intimidation rather than to fight or change their circumstances and a society that teaches women that they are supposed to look a certain way in order to be acceptable. In addition, the relationship between the family of origin and the resulting eating disordered behavior seems to be great. Families with addictions, punitive behavior, anger, hostility, blurred identities, and lack of support for growth and individuation create young women who are unable to cope with the stresses of college living without their maladaptive eating. They do not know how to handle the difficulties of relationships, seeking support, and handling the normal changes of life without reverting to the learned childhood behavior of seeking solace in food. The problem is multifaceted and further aggravated by the isolation of young women, who may not understand the nature of their difficulty....
