Physician can tell if she has anorexia

Thu., Feb. 2, 2006

Peter Gott, M.D. The Spokesman-Review

Dear Dr. Gott: My granddaughter, age 18, weighs 90 pounds. I am afraid that she may have anorexia, a condition that I know can lead to death, as it did with Karen Carpenter, the famous vocalist. Please reassure me that nothing is wrong.

Dear Reader: I wish I could. If your granddaughter is 5 feet tall or shorter, her weight may be perfectly normal; however, if she is taller than, say, 5 feet 3 inches, there could be a problem. This is an issue best addressed by family and professional services, in a highly supportive mode.

Various eating disorders manifest in varying patterns: binge eating, starvation, vomiting, laxative abuse and other signs.

The eating patterns of today’s teens pique my curiosity. On the one hand, American children are eating themselves into chronic obesity, with all the associated unhealthful consequences, but some adolescents are choosing extreme thinness. While adults can rant and rave about teenage obesity, we should acknowledge that an inappropriate philosophy of malnutrition is equally harmful.

The place to start the analysis of whether your granddaughter’s eating patterns are dangerous is with her physician.

To help you understand the spectrum of eating disorders and therapy, I am sending you a copy of my newly written health report “Eating Disorders.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Mention the title.

Dear Dr. Gott: My husband is 47 years old. His cardiologist says he has cardiomyopathy. Because of this, he can no longer work. Please explain what this condition is and outline any limitations it might impose on his activity.

Dear Reader: Cardiomyopathy is a medical term denoting malfunction of the heart muscle, which has become flabby and inefficient, leading to difficulty breathing and exercising.

The diagnosis usually requires a battery of tests, including a chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, ultrasound and blood analysis. Treatment includes medication, such as ACE inhibitors to reduce the work of the heart, diuretics to rid the body of excess fluid, and digoxin to strengthen the heartbeat. However, the prognosis is poor: 70 percent of patients die within five years.

Because of the complexities of the disorder, patients with cardiomyopathy should be under the care of a cardiologist.

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