Why can such a serious illness go unnoticed by parents, teachers and friends?
Eating disorders become the deepest, darkest secret that somebody can have. People with an eating disorder rarely want to let someone know about it unless they happen to be friends who also have eating disorders, with whom they can trust and share that information. The illness can be so deeply cloaked in shame and self-loathing that sufferers of eating disorders become very good at hiding their illnesses, and go to great lengths to camouflage their bodies, misdirect others’ attention and hide their behavior; they become exceptionally proficient at lying. Bulimia can be easier to hide, because it often doesn’t visibly alter one’s body, but takes its toll internally. An adult with an eating disorder can isolate himself or herself; a young adult living at home can develop many concealment behaviors that can be hard to spot if you aren’t looking for them, and sometimes even if you are. Even when suspected, a person with an eating disorder will deny the problem, working to convince parents,
