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The Sunday News (Auckland)
01/17/99
By TYLER Vicky
Page 12
1 graphic: "Lucy Lawless"REPRINT
COMMENTARY
A more in depth article inspired by Lucy Lawless' coments about bulimia.PRIMARY SOURCE
XENA star Lucy Lawless has revealed how she beat the eating disorder bulimia. Actress Lucy, who stars in TV3's Xena: Warrior Princess, is urging young fans to battle body-image obsessions. Lucy said: "To any girls out there who are thinking of it, or are just getting into it, just quit your bloody nonsense." Anorexia - self-starvation - and bulimia - binge eating followed by vomiting - are all on the increase according to the Eating Disorders Association. Spokeswoman Carol Drew told Sunday News girls as young as five were obsessed with being overweight. "They see the Barbie doll image and pictures in the paper and watch television shows like Beverly Hills 90210," Drew said. Children as young as 11 were being treated for bulimia and anorexia. She fears it may have spread to primary school age children. She has also heard of two-year-olds imitating their mothers' bulimic behaviour. "I've had women who've said 'my two-year-old follows me into the toilet and vomits with me'," she said. "It's really scary. The children think that must be the thing to do." Anorexia and bulimia used to be most common in young middle-class women. But in the past few years the disorders have spread to poorer communities and other cultures, including Asians. There are clinics treating patients with serious eating disorders in Wellington, Ashburton and Christchurch.
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