Eating disorders among bright, attractive women

According to new research, those most at risk of developing anorexia nervosa are performing over and above expectations and setting impossibly high standards, making it hard to meet their own expectations.

A report by the Michigan State University's Kalamazoo Centre for Medical Studies shows how these feelings of inadequacy - no matter how unjustified - lead to shame and to the sensation of a loss of control over life, which is when sufferers turn to an area within their control, such as the intake of food and the maintenance of weight. Studies further show that this eating disorder tends to manifest itself in bright, attractive women, between the ages of 12 and 25.

These findings are delved into in the May issue of Pink magazine, which is being distributed with The Times tomorrow.

Its InFocus story features the first-hand account of a woman battling to emerge from anorexia and her gruelling story of the struggle to succeed. It also tackles the issue from an innovative and interesting point of view - that of the carers and the pain they go through when they helplessly see their loved ones literally fading into thin air. In the wake of Mother's Day, LifeStyle looks at mother-daughter relationships from the business point of view and the winning formula that an all-woman team can actually turn out to be.

Bikinis also take centre stage in tomorrow's issue, with a wide selection and tips on how to wear the best combination for any body shape.

Pink is a monthly magazine, whose executive editors are The Times journalists Fiona Galea Debono and Ariadne Massa. It is published by Allied Newspapers Ltd, printed by Progress Press Ltd, produced by MediaMaker and designed by Helen Cassar Torreggiani and Joseph Schembri.