LONDON, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- New pressure on older women to be thin and look young has led to an upsurge in late-onset eating disorders in Britain.
An average eating disorder starts when a patient is about 15, but a growing number of women in their 40s and 50s are seeking treatment for anorexia and bulimia, The Times of London reported Thursday.
The reason: more pressure than ever for older women to look good.
Role models like Sharon Stone and the women of television’s “Desperate Housewives” have shown that beauty does not end after 30, but the flip side is they set an unrealistic standard, the newspaper said.
That coupled with the fact that many older women are in the dating pool again has led to an increase in unhealthy eating and exercise behavior.
But wanting to look good is usually not enough to cause an eating disorder, experts told the Times. That pressure combined with perfectionism and the desire to be in control most often lead to the condition.
