In the grips of ANOREXIA

With a new Channel 5 documentary shining light on the deadly eating disorder, we ask what can be done to help sufferers beat the condition before it beats them

- FIONA FORD

Most of us are familiar with the term anorexia, an eating disorder that sees sufferers avoid or limit their food intake. However, what’s perhaps less well-known is the fact anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, with those battling the condition just as likely to take their own life as they are to suffer medical complications. In April 2021, Big Brother star Nikki Grahame died as a result of her anorexia, aged just 38.

Typically associated with adolescents, clinicians have found it’s not unusual for adults to develop the condition later in life too, with many doctors claiming to have treated women as old as 70. It’s clear anorexia isn’t an illness that only affects individuals, but entire families, having a hugely debilitating impact on daily life as they battle to help those they love.

Anorexic, a new Channel 5 documentary that will air on 2 March, highlights the plight of sufferers as they struggle to recover and explores the impact of the disease on their loved ones, leaving us to ask the question, just how can we support families waging war with this killer illness? 

‘I AM LIVING WITH CONSTANT WORRY’