Dear reader,

Thank you for your letter. We hope it will help others. Reading your letter made us
realize that we owe it to our readers to give them the facts about anorexia and next week
our main story will be about eating disorders in young people. Here is a brief summary of
the facts:
Many experts feel that eating disorders, such as anorexia, are the result of the
teenager's desire to have something in her life that only she can control. Anorexia often
begins when a change takes place in the young person's life or surroundings, a change she
cannot control: the family moves to a new neighbourhood, parents get divorced, a
friendship ends... The reaction to such change may be this desire for control. However,
instead of dealing with the problem that is causing the feeling of a loss of control, the
anorexic carefully controls her eating - the one thing that no one else can control.
Studies show that people who suffer from anorexia are often perfectionists, that is,
they set very high standards for themselves in everything they do. Even though these
young anorexics may be very successful in school and with friends, they are never
satisfied with themselves. In other words, they set unrealistic goals for themselves and
then when they don't achieve them, they feel that they have failed.
The main warning sign of anorexia is an obsession with food and dieting. The anorexic
may also be obsessed with exercising. This is accompanied by a significant weight loss. A
distorted body image is characteristic of anorexics; although they are very thin, they feel
that they are too fat.
We hope this will make our readers more aware of the problems of anorexia.

The Editor

1.Write true or false and write the exact words in the text that justify your answers:
a) Anorexia always results in death
b) Moving to a new neighbourhood causes anorexia
c) Perfectionists often set impossible goals for themselves
d) Some anorexics spend a lot of time exercising
e) Once anorexics lose weight, their body image improves

2.Answer the following questions IN YOUR OWN WORDS:

a) How can a change in a young person's life lead to anorexia?
b) Anorexics are often perfectionists. How can the desire for perfection result in
frustration?
c) What are the warning signs of anorexia?
d) Define and give an explanation, in your own words, for perfectionist.

3. Make questions for the underlined information:

a) The anorexic controls her eating carefully
b) A distorted body image is characteristic of anorexics
c) Anorexia often begins when a change takes place in the young person's life

4.Match the words from the text in column A with the definitions or synonyms in column
B:
A B
a. achieve 1. impractical
b. brief 2. wish
c. characteristic 3. typical
d. deal with 4. specialist
e. desire 5. short
f. (eating) disorder 6. obtain
g. expert 7. cope with
h. main 8.research
i. obsession 9. outline
j. reaction 10.response
k. significant 11. happen
l. studies 12. illness
m. summary 13. most important
n. take place 14. fixation
o. unrealistic 15. showing possible danger or problem
p. warning signs 16. having a considerable effect