Anorexia and bulimia: early prevention and detection. (The Mortification of the Flesh).

Thirty years ago, there was no record of anorexia nervosa and bulimia anywhere in the world. Not because physicians and psychiatrists lacked the tools to detect these disorders, but because the boom of waif-like thinness had not yet invaded western women's collective imagination.

Until the 1960s when Twiggy's skeletal figure traipsed down the catwalk, fashion's spotlight illuminated voluptuous bodies, with the odd little bulge tucked away here and there. Today, however, eating disorders are appearing with an alarming and increasing frequency among adolescents who are obsessed with achieving the "physical ideal." Anorexia and bulimia are appearing at increasingly younger ages and among both sexes (young men currently account for 10% of those suffering from eating disorders).

Thinness is associated with success, power, beauty and status. No wonder "miracle" diets seem a sure way to triumph. These obsessions can lead to serious illness, such as anorexia nervosa, characterized by exaggerated weight loss, or bulimia, in which episodes of bingeing (ingesting large amounts of food) alternate with "compensatory" behavior (such as self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diuretics, anorexic agents or excessive physical activity).

According to the World Health Organization the mortality rate among those diagnosed with anorexia is 15%.

Argentina's ALUBA (Asociacion de Lucha contra Bulimia y Anorexia, Association to Fight Bulimia and Anorexia) is a non-governmental organization founded and directed by Dr. Mabel Belle. For the past fifteen years, ALUBA has been recognized as a pioneer and leader in the field of eating disorders in Argentina and abroad. Since its creation, ALUBA has handled over 9,000 consultations. Currently, the organization is treating some 2,500 patients and has a high rate of success with a variety of treatment approaches.

In addition to recovery treatments, ALUBA focuses on prevention, early detection and health education. In the schools, ALUBA's activities focus on the population at risk through consciousness-raising initiatives with teachers and parents. Special programs--group discussions, seminars and workshops--train families to prevent anorexia and bulimia and to detect symptoms of eating disorders early on, so that sufferers can receive prompt treatment.

Because teachers are key to identifying pathological behavior in the school setting, ALUBA trains teachers through a specially-designed course in early detection.