Warning Signs Of Anorexia - What Did We Miss?
The Life Of Karen Carpenter

Warning signs of anorexia present themselves in many forms. Of course hindsight is 20/20, but looking back, we know that the life of Karen Carpenter showed several anorexia signs.

I was a huge fan of The Carpenters music as a kid. Alright, I admit - I still enjoy it :) But being a fan meant that I had a genuine interest in keeping up with all the biographies and documentaries about their lives.

Probably the most powerful things that I've ever read about Karen's life and her battle with anorexia come from a 2010 biography called, Little Girl Blue by Randy Schmidt.

I was shocked to learn more details of Karen's illness and the events that lead up to it, but what surprised me the most was how closely many of her actions, and interactions with family members, resemble some classic anorexia symptoms and other warning signs of anorexia.

It is important to keep in mind that Karen suffered during the late 1970's and early 1980's when we didn't know as much about anorexia or eating disorders as we do now. Furthermore, specialized eating disorder clinics were virtually non-existent in those days.

Had she been ill in today's times, it's possible that things might have been very different for her.

Warning Signs Of Anorexia In Mother Daughter Relationships?

Have you ever wondered if mother daughter relationships display any warning signs of anorexia? Eating disorder research suggests that there is a definite correlation between family relationships and anorexia.

After everything that I've read, and people I've spoken to who knew the family, there are several things that stand out to me about Karen's mother, Agnes Carpenter.

It seems that Agnes was very stoic and cold towards her daughter. When Karen wanted to call off her wedding, Agnes refused to allow it. There was no indication that she ever considered Karen's feelings.

Even during a therapy session, Agnes could not (or would not) tell her daughter that she loved her.

Karen's feelings were neglected earlier in her life when Agnes wanted to move the family from the east coast to the west coast so that her son could have more musical opportunities available to him. Karen was devastated that she had to leave her friends.

With that information alone, we can see evidence of emotional abandonment. I'm sure that Karen must have felt as though she couldn't control anything in her life.

This is often one of the most common warning signs of anorexia.

If anorexics perceive that things are out of control, they quickly learn that food intake (or lack of it) is an area where they have complete control. It also serves as a way to numb emotions that are too painful to handle.

Tragically, Karen couldn't control the one thing she wanted (and deserved) most - and that was her mother's love.

Read more about Karen's anorexia nervosa symptoms.

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