We grow closer and closer to an understanding of the mechanisms underlying addictions, and with that knowledge we also learn about other illnesses. It is not new to think of eating disorders as addictions, but the connection has often been one of analogy, not brain function.

When a child has a medical problem, doctors see the child and parent together. It would be unusual to have a clinician meet alone with a minor with an illness or injury or a regular check-up. But this situation is reversed in child psychology.

Dr. Cynthia Bulik, William R. and Jeanne H. Jordan Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders at the University of North Carolina, spoke forcefully at yesterday's US Congressional Briefing organized by the Eating Disorders Coalition.

Bulik gave a 20-minute talk that could, if widely available, change the way society - and patients - look at eating disorders.

The research she cites is well-established, but still controversial among clinicians treating the illness.

Among the many benefits accruing from the Genetics of Anorexia Nervosa Collaborative Study funded by the NIH is the ability to study other issues related to AN. A recent paper on Suicide Attempts in Anorexia Nervosa published in Psychosomatic Medicine offers much-needed examination of an important topic.

A high proportion of deaths from anorexia are not from starvation; patients take their own lives, often in the early stages of recovery. Just last week, one of the subjects of the HBO documentary Thin lost her life after years of struggle.

The recent research identifies an important difference between eating disorder subtypes: "restrictive" anorexics are less at risk for suicide attempts. As genetics research advances, many useful diagnostic tools will surely emerge. With an illness with such a high rate of morbidity, any advances are welcome news for patients and families.