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An American doctor is helping treat a set of Australian twins who have suffered from
anorexia nervosa for more than two decades.
The ordeal of 34-year-old twins Clare and Rachel Wallmeyer has been followed closely
by the public in their home city of Melbourne, Australia. Several months ago, Clare,
who has the bone density of a 72-year-old, weighed only 58 pounds, and Rachel, with
a bone density of a 100-year-old, weighed 48 pounds. The Wallmeyer twins are
extreme, but not alone. The American Psychiatric Association estimates that anorexia
afflicts as many as one in every 100 girls. It has the highest mortality rate -- 10 percent
-- of any mental illness. It used to be thought that a weight-obsessed culture was what
drove anorexics to starve themselves, but recently, a new study said the disease
could be attributed to an individual's genetic makeup.
"We're learning that there is a genetic predisposition, but obviously the environment,
the culture, is also a major factor," said Dr. Ira Sacker, an American eating-disorder
specialist who flew to Australia to help the twins. "We're really only beginning to
understand the deeper causes of anorexia."
Sacker, president and founder of the Help and Eating Disorders Foundation and an
associate professor at NYU Medical School, already has made two trips to Australia to
see the women and plans to return soon.
A Terrible Ordeal
According to their mother, Moya Wallmeyer, the twins' anorexia started off as a way of
getting attention. They have also exhibited some dangerous behavior and have had a
number of run-ins with the law, involving petty thievery, dangerous driving and drugs.
Earlier this year, Clare received a two-month jail term for stealing chewing gum, a soft
drink and a blender. Rachel received a 21-month suspended jail sentence for driving
offenses, theft and for pushing a man who she said insulted her off a railway platform.
In 2003, Rachel was involved in a police chase through the city of Geelong when she
ran a red light and lost control of her car. She was also charged with injecting heroin in
public.
In October, a judge released the twins without recording convictions and dismissed all
charges against the twins except for those for which they had already paid the fines.
Earlier this year, the girls were on Australia's version of "60 Minutes." They revealed
that they had never been in love, never had a job, and never gone to college, and that
they believed that it was just a matter of time before they died. But at least, they said,
they will die together.
But there is hope. Sacker said the twins had been doing much better since their
appearance on the program.
"They've gained a lot of weight," he said. "They're no longer at death's door, though
their health is still in great danger."
Treatment Options
Sacker, who has suffered from compulsive overeating, said he had made it his goal to
get the twins to like and trust him. Once he finally got them to that point, he persuaded
them to enter a hospital. They were fed through a nasal gastric tube and were
hydrated intravenously. They also began to eat a little food and soon got up to 75
pounds -- which put them out of immediate danger, Sacker said.
Sacker, who said the United States had more advanced eating-disorder facilities than
Australia, would like to bring them here if he cannot find a place in Australia.
Nevertheless, Sacker says that the treatment of anorexia still has a long way to go in
the United States. Insurance often cannot pay the full cost of the best treatment and it
often takes three to five months of inpatient care that costs $1,500 to $2,000 a day.
Additionally, the patient should go to a transitional care facility before returning home.
Those kinds of halfway houses are still rare and Sacker is in the process of opening
one.
"A lot of people have a mistaken idea of who the disease affects," Sacker said.
"Anorexia has an image of being an upper-class disease, but it affects people across
the social spectrum."
Unlocking a Cure Through Genetics
Jessica and Jaime come from a loving family. Their younger sister, Jennifer, leads a
normal, healthy life. So how could both twins develop eating disorders?
The answer could lie in the genes they share. Experts studying twins with eating
disorders increasingly believe their illnesses are biologically based. One recent study
concluded that more than half a person's risk for developing anorexia is determined
by genes.
Jessica and Jaime are participating in a new international study on genetics and
eating disorders run by the National Institute of Mental Health.
"What we see is that about 70 percent of the time if one twin develops one of the
illnesses, the other twin is going to develop it as well," said Dr. Craig Johnson, who is
heading up the study.
By studying the twins, Johnson hopes he and his team may be able to uncover a cure
for anorexia. And for Jessica and Jaime, sharing what was once a secret struggle is
not only benefiting science -- it's also helping their recovery.
"The short term goal is that we would like to understand the neurochemistry better so
that we can develop medications that specifically target the illnesses of anorexia
nervosa and bulimia," Johnson said. "Our long term goal is to be able to cure it."
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO WITH TRACEY GOLD.
anorexia nervosa for more than two decades.
The ordeal of 34-year-old twins Clare and Rachel Wallmeyer has been followed closely
by the public in their home city of Melbourne, Australia. Several months ago, Clare,
who has the bone density of a 72-year-old, weighed only 58 pounds, and Rachel, with
a bone density of a 100-year-old, weighed 48 pounds. The Wallmeyer twins are
extreme, but not alone. The American Psychiatric Association estimates that anorexia
afflicts as many as one in every 100 girls. It has the highest mortality rate -- 10 percent
-- of any mental illness. It used to be thought that a weight-obsessed culture was what
drove anorexics to starve themselves, but recently, a new study said the disease
could be attributed to an individual's genetic makeup.
"We're learning that there is a genetic predisposition, but obviously the environment,
the culture, is also a major factor," said Dr. Ira Sacker, an American eating-disorder
specialist who flew to Australia to help the twins. "We're really only beginning to
understand the deeper causes of anorexia."
Sacker, president and founder of the Help and Eating Disorders Foundation and an
associate professor at NYU Medical School, already has made two trips to Australia to
see the women and plans to return soon.
A Terrible Ordeal
According to their mother, Moya Wallmeyer, the twins' anorexia started off as a way of
getting attention. They have also exhibited some dangerous behavior and have had a
number of run-ins with the law, involving petty thievery, dangerous driving and drugs.
Earlier this year, Clare received a two-month jail term for stealing chewing gum, a soft
drink and a blender. Rachel received a 21-month suspended jail sentence for driving
offenses, theft and for pushing a man who she said insulted her off a railway platform.
In 2003, Rachel was involved in a police chase through the city of Geelong when she
ran a red light and lost control of her car. She was also charged with injecting heroin in
public.
In October, a judge released the twins without recording convictions and dismissed all
charges against the twins except for those for which they had already paid the fines.
Earlier this year, the girls were on Australia's version of "60 Minutes." They revealed
that they had never been in love, never had a job, and never gone to college, and that
they believed that it was just a matter of time before they died. But at least, they said,
they will die together.
But there is hope. Sacker said the twins had been doing much better since their
appearance on the program.
"They've gained a lot of weight," he said. "They're no longer at death's door, though
their health is still in great danger."
Treatment Options
Sacker, who has suffered from compulsive overeating, said he had made it his goal to
get the twins to like and trust him. Once he finally got them to that point, he persuaded
them to enter a hospital. They were fed through a nasal gastric tube and were
hydrated intravenously. They also began to eat a little food and soon got up to 75
pounds -- which put them out of immediate danger, Sacker said.
Sacker, who said the United States had more advanced eating-disorder facilities than
Australia, would like to bring them here if he cannot find a place in Australia.
Nevertheless, Sacker says that the treatment of anorexia still has a long way to go in
the United States. Insurance often cannot pay the full cost of the best treatment and it
often takes three to five months of inpatient care that costs $1,500 to $2,000 a day.
Additionally, the patient should go to a transitional care facility before returning home.
Those kinds of halfway houses are still rare and Sacker is in the process of opening
one.
"A lot of people have a mistaken idea of who the disease affects," Sacker said.
"Anorexia has an image of being an upper-class disease, but it affects people across
the social spectrum."
Unlocking a Cure Through Genetics
Jessica and Jaime come from a loving family. Their younger sister, Jennifer, leads a
normal, healthy life. So how could both twins develop eating disorders?
The answer could lie in the genes they share. Experts studying twins with eating
disorders increasingly believe their illnesses are biologically based. One recent study
concluded that more than half a person's risk for developing anorexia is determined
by genes.
Jessica and Jaime are participating in a new international study on genetics and
eating disorders run by the National Institute of Mental Health.
"What we see is that about 70 percent of the time if one twin develops one of the
illnesses, the other twin is going to develop it as well," said Dr. Craig Johnson, who is
heading up the study.
By studying the twins, Johnson hopes he and his team may be able to uncover a cure
for anorexia. And for Jessica and Jaime, sharing what was once a secret struggle is
not only benefiting science -- it's also helping their recovery.
"The short term goal is that we would like to understand the neurochemistry better so
that we can develop medications that specifically target the illnesses of anorexia
nervosa and bulimia," Johnson said. "Our long term goal is to be able to cure it."
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO WITH TRACEY GOLD.
THE ANOREXIC TWINS....
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