| "MINNEAPOLIS -- Kelli Smith was nervous as she walked into the Philadelphia treatment center, seeking help at last for her anorexia. Looking around at the other patients, she was struck by how young they seemed. " " ''I just kind of looked around and I thought, 'Oh, where is someone my age?''' recalls Smith. At age 31, she found herself face-to-face with teens and 20-somethings. " "Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia have long been considered diseases of the young, but experts say in recent years more women have been seeking help in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and older. Some treatment centers are creating special programs for them. " "People who study eating disorders suggest several reasons there might be more women over 30 seeking treatment: growing public awareness, social pressure to be thin and an aging group of baby boomers. " "''It's not about wanting to be the cheerleader or being the homecoming queen,'' said Carol Tappen of the Eating Disorders Institute. "It's much bigger than that.''
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