ABSTRACT
Rachel was referred by her general practitioner (GP) who, in addition to making a faxed referral, made a telephone call to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services CAMHS to express her concerns regarding Rachel Parkinson, a 15½-year-old girl. The GP had been shocked by the appearance of Rachel, who seemed to have lost a vast amount of weight. She looked extremely thin, with a bossy forehead and drawn face. Rachel showed all the typical features of anorexia nervosa – a relentless pursuit to lose weight by dieting and exercising, fear of fatness and distorted body image and amenorrhoea. It was difficult to determine the duration of the illness but it appeared that she had been losing weight over the previous year. She had severely cut down her food intake and been starving herself to attain her ideal weight of 65 lbs. Anorexia nervosa should be distinguished from other causes of weight loss in children and adolescence.
