Thin Gray Line

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Still, many doctors, like Binckley's, fail to spot the potentially fatal problem in an older person because they're not looking for it. And in a country where obesity seems to be running rampant, a featherweight figure is often prized. "A doctor may see a slender patient and say, 'Here's one without that problem,'" explains Andres Pumariega, a psychiatrist at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Pennsylvania. "It's become a silent epidemic."

Having received the correct diagnosis and treatment, Binckley is now robust, content and at ease. Her headaches and fainting spells are long gone. Her weight, once a wispy 100 lbs. on a 5-ft. 4-in. frame, ranges from 125 lbs. to 135 lbs. The biggest change, however, is that she's free of the tormenting worry about her body and what she eats. "Overall, I am happier and enjoying life like never before," she says. "To use food as a metaphor, life is delicious."