Book excerpt: This book offers the first new medical treatment plan in 50 years for anorexia nervosa, the self-starvation disease that affects adolescents and women of all ages in the U.S. and is now increasingly common in men. Written by a leading psychiatrist and eating disorder expert, the book is based on cutting-edge research on nutritional deficiencies in anorexia that have been long ignored, and the use of a simple but revolutionary brain test that can help psychiatrists select the best medication for each individual person. James Greenblatt, MD, explains that anorexia is a complex disorder with genetic, biological, psychological, and cultural contributing factors. In other words, anorexia is not primarily a psychiatric illness as has been believed for so long; rather, it is a medical illness of starvation that causes malnutrition in the body and the brain. Successful treatment must focus on correcting this malnutrition. Dr. Greenblatt has helped many patients with anorexia recover simply by correcting their nutritional deficiencies, and here he explains specifically which nutrients must be supplemented as part of treatment. Answers to Anorexia finally offers patients and their families new hope for successful treatment of this serious, frustrating, and enigmatic illness.