Anorexia and Aging

Elderly more prone to the disease than you might expect

(HealthDayNews) -- Although the media obsession with anorexia focuses on teenagers and too-thin TV stars, the truth about the disease is far removed from that.

Anorexia may be a more serious disease for the old and for men, research suggests.

Although girls make up almost 90 percent of anorexia deaths among the young, a larger percentage of males than females die from it later in life.

An analysis of 10 million deaths in the United States over a five-year period found that young, over-achieving females make up just a fifth of those who die from anorexia. Most people who die from the disease are 70 or older.

For the elderly, case studies cite personal losses that impinge on identity, from a child leaving home to a spouse dying or retirement from a job.

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