Im not in the UK and I think that doctor needs to go back to school to learn better bedside manners. recovering from an eating disorder and also an ex smoker myself I can understand the concept of the "quit smoking" analogy but he could have found a better way to say it.

Eating disorders are like quitting smoking as in both are an adiction type behavior.

after quitting smoking the craving and wanting to do it is still there, and wanting to be like those around you and smoke is still there.

After getting out of the annerexic behavior and weight right on track with the physicians weight charts the craving to lose weight is still there, the wanting to be skinny is still there and the temptation of dieting like those around you are is still there.

The trick to beating them both is will power and courage and resourses.

The first is willpower because you can't help someone who doesn't want the help and is not actively trying and following through with the treatment plans and goals.

The second is courage because the person needs to look at not only the behaviour of the smoking and eating disorder but they also need to take care of why they started doing them to begin with.

The third is resources. Having the doctors, books, websites, therapy and so on won't do any good if the person does not have the willpower and the courage.

The doctor saying you were not thin enough to be considered eating disordered is in a way correct.

One of the universal criteria that the physicains (not therapists but the medical doctors) have to go by when evaluating if someone has an eating disorder is the weight and height chart. The person to MEDICALLY be diagnosed annerexic is that the persons weight must be less that one fourth (25%) of the weight they should be. for example a person who should be on the charts 140 pounts must be no more than 115 pounds.

To get this number they divide the chart weight ( 140 )by 4 ( to get the one fourth number of pounds under weight --- 140 divide by 4 is 35. Then they subtract that 35 from the 140 to get the criteria weight for annerexia --- 140 subtract 35 equals 115 pounds.

So if you were this person who should weigh 140 but weights in at 155 or below you are considered Medically diagnosed annerexic.

If you are this person who should weigh 140 but weights anywhere above 115 pounds you are not MEDICALLY diagnosed annerexic.

I was diagnosed MEDICALLY anerexic when I was supposed to be 140 pounds and lost down to 108. Now Medically since I weight slightly above 140 I am considered no longer MEDICALLY anerexic.

THERAPEUTICALLY I am considered a person who HAD anerexia. just like I used to be a smoker and now have it under control I am no longer a smoker I no longer HAVE anerexia. What I do have is the psychological left overs of the craving of being thin, the wanting to not eat things like with smoking that I have to catch myself BEFORE I become anerexic again.