Tracey desperately wanted to look like the models and celebrities in the fashion magazines. She would do anything to have their thin, flawless bodies. Every girl in her school would die for a body like that. Soon meat began to disgust her. Skipping breakfast and eating an apple for lunch became routine. The pounds began to melt off and people were noticing. She loved that feeling—other girls envying her. “You look so good. You are so thin.” Comments like that led to a tighter control on intake and more angst around anyone trying to get in the way of what she was doing. It was working. It felt good. Soon Tracey became too weak to play basketball, and one day she passed out on the court. It was out of control.

Stories like the one above are unbelievably common. One out of every one hundred young women is anorexic. Four out of every one hundred college-age women are bulimic. Overall, research suggests that eight million Americans—men and women—have an eating disorder. Yet in the face of these startling statistics, parents do not have a clear understanding of how to help their child overcome an eating disorder.

In Conquering Eating Disorders, Susan Cooper, a licensed psychologist and group psychotherapist, and Peggy Norton, a dietitian with thirty years of experience, bridge the gap between the statistics and the real-life issues to help teens and parents gain the communication skills necessary to support the healing process. Parents need to know that only in Conquering Eating Disorders will you hear directly from teens struggling with eating disorders and get expert advice on how to interpret and respond to what your teen is saying—even when they're not talking.