Another LookI

I had read Marya Hornbacher's book "Wasted" when it first came out, but after reviewing  the recent spate of books I'd purchased  for my niece, I decided to revisit it.  I wanted to see if it had aged well and if it was truly as good as I remembered it to be.  Indeed it was.  It's hard to believe that Marya was as young as she was when she wrote it, as she has such a mastery of language and an understanding of her issues.  She doesn't fall into simple pop psychology and blame the disease on her need for control.  Rather,she delves into a complex philosophical exploration in addition to studying her  family's  dynamics.  She concedes that while there were issues with her parents, they were good people and it wasn't their fault.
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Marya Hornbacher seemingly had it all; she is and was superbly talented and managed to get accepted at a boarding school for gifted students.  Her work was recognized early on.  Even so, the unravelling began.  Despite hospitalizations, her weight dropped.  Marya details how she got so ill; that people don't understand that bulimia is deadly because people aren't as skinny as those who suffer with anorexia.  However, itis the purging that can cause heart disorders and kill.  She had more then one encounter with physicians who misunderstood basic physiology.  All too often it seems that women, especially young ones, are blown off by the health care system.
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This continues to be the seminal book on eating disorders.  After all these years, it has yet to be topped.  It is abook that parents should read as well as people who suspect that they have an issue with food.   It is also a book about the insidious nature of mental illness and therefore deserves to be read for that reason alone.