Product Description
Anatomy of Anorexia is a tremendous tool for families: now more than ever, early diagnosis and treatment, and family participation, are crucial in helping the anorexic. Preeminent therapist Steven Levenkron demystifies this life-threatening disease and shows how the millions of girls and women who are afflicted with anorexia can be helped--and can look forward to rich and productive lives.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 8 reviews)

Very insightful and educational

I shared this book with my therapist because while I am a "recovered" anorexic, I still have occasional relapses. When I had one recently, I bought this book and devoured it. So much of the passages in the book spoke to me, and resonated with my own thoughts and feelings, that I felt it was vital to my therapy progress to discuss it. The main points that stood out were how much of an impact parental behavior can have on a child even if it's unintentional; that the nature of anorexia causes the sufferer to lock into very rigid thought and belief patterns that are extremely difficult to break.

Before others immediately criticize Levenkron for his ego and self-congratulatory attitude, think about the fact that treating anorexics is nigh-impossible, and any doctor who has found a method that works *should* be proud and should be congratulated. Anorexia and bulimia are hateful, destructive illnesses that are notoriously hard to treat. It's really akin to alcoholism. If he can help his patients, bully for him.
July 19, 2007

Awesome!

A VERY deep, compelling, and wonderful read. It has mini-stories of girls he has helped and what went on in their life to cause the eating disorder. He uses these examples to back up his theories about the why's of anorexia. This is SUCH a good book and it helped me understand myself better. My father read it too and it very pleased with it and feels like he knows me better because of it. This book is a definite and worth every penny to buy it; it is a good resource to have on hands.
August 21, 2004

Should Be Required Reading

Brilliant, elegantly written and insightful, Anatomy of Anorexia
by Steven Levenkron offers a panoramic view beyond most medical treatises and personal accounts on Anorexia. For parents, the medical community and laypersons seeking to understand this seemingly unfathomable condition, this book sheds light on the ever present and haunting question, "Why would a seemingly healthy child or young adult purposely starve?" If you're searching for answers to the poignant questions surrounding this disorder, Anatomy of Anorexia provides more than clues and theories. This book reveals a path that may very well lead to the light at the end of the dark tunnel for patients, families and caregivers dealing with this wrenching and heart breaking disorder. This is an invaluble guide that fills a need not completely met by other books on anorexia nervosa. I agree with a previous reviewer that this book may not be suitable reading for some sufferers of anorexia. The knowledge within could prove to be a two-edged sword for the patient who hasn't fully embraced the long journey to recovery.
July 13, 2002

Clear, comprehensive, and useful.

I've been teaching young adults on the college level for a couple of years now, and in that short amount of time, several of my female students have confided that they've struggled with eating disorders. This book helped me to understand what they went through, and it therefore has my unequivocal recommendation.

The strength of this book is that its author has written such a clear, easy-to-understand dissection the anatomy of anorexia. Levenkron analyzes factors contributing to anorexia; its effects on victims, their families, and friends; and several treatments. He uses explanations and case-study examples to demystify a disease that often seems inexplicable, making this a useful book for anyone who wants a clearer picture of anorexia.

Readers will come to understand the mental nature of anorexia as Levenkron does: as an obsessive-compulsive disorder. This concept is critical for family members and friends of anorexics to understand, for, as Levenkron states, it is impossible for anyone but a professional to cure an anorexic.

His major point: that the longer anorexia goes untreated, the more it strengthens its grasp on its victims, underscoring the need for *professional* help as early as possible. Therefore, if you think someone you know has an eating disorder, don't understand why, and don't know what to do about it, then this book is for you.
April 17, 2002

good book

This book was had lots of examples of his patients in it and the different types. Steven Levenkron explained anorexia very simply yet well. It is good for both readers who know about the disorder and people who are new to it. It is very comprehensive and breaks up the aspects of anorexia into different sections that are easier to manage.
December 29, 2001

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