Psychologists have long known that one's age isn't a protective factor against eating disorders, but conventional wisdom, and perhaps treatment and research, have biased us against considering how an eating disorder affects middle-aged women. The NY Times reports:

‘At a certain point,’ she said, ‘you cross that line and you can’t help what you are doing, and the eating disorder owns you. I lost my bearings on reality and maturity.’

While this is an older article, it's worth keeping in mind when thinking about how mental health needs to be monitored across the lifespan.