ANOREXIA IN THE ELDERLY - AN ANNOTATION

Genuine anorexia nervosa starting in the elderly is thought relatively uncommon. Some previously reported cases may have been elderly depressives with loss of appetite rather than true eating disorder. The condition also has to be distinguished from ''late onset'' anorexia in mature but younger women. Two illustrative patients are briefly reported. Some possible psychological mechanisms in this syndrome are discussed in the context of the relatively small total number of previously reported single cases. (C) 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.