Over the past 50 years, eating disorders have become increasingly prevalent in the United States. Society is beginning to realize that they affect not only adolescent women, but also men and children (Caralat, Camargo & Herzog, 1997; Lask, 2000). Solitaire is a novel originally published by Aimee Liu when she was 25 years old. It was considered the first American memoir about anorexia, with Liu describing her struggle with anorexia as a teenager in the sixties. Gaining is the sequel to this groundbreaking novel, which follows Liu as she talks with her (former) colleagues suffering from eating disorders. In Gaining, Liu speaks with a particular person who is my main focus; Hannah Winters. This essay can be considered a case study of Hannah, specifically examining her life, symptoms, diagnoses and comparing them to research done on similar topics. Based on her story, Hannah could be considered an iconic figure for eating disorders; following very closely the diagnosis of anorexia given in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (APA, 2000) and addressing many of the typical problems faced by those suffering from eating disorders. It seems that Hannah hasn't had the chance to have a normal life since her birth. At the age of nine months, she was kidnapped in Belgium by the prostitute daughter of her governess. Besides being a terrifying ordeal, research has shown that negative experiences, such as rape and other forms of abuse (or in this case, kidnapping), influence eating pathology (Mesman-Moore & Garrigus, 2007). Additionally, Johnson et al. (2002) found that people with eating disorders were more likely than those without eating disorders to report a history of child maltreatment, other childhood adversities, and poor parental relationships. ..... middle of article ......exia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Archives of General Psychiatry, 55(7), 603-610.Liu, A. (2008). Winning: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders. New York: Wellness Central. Messman-Moore, T.L. and Garrigus, S. (2007). The association of child maltreatment and eating disorder symptomatology: the importance of multiple forms of maltreatment and revictimization. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 14(3), 51-72. Notman, MT and Nadelson, CC (1976). The rape victim: psychodynamic considerations. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133, 408-413. Pope, HG and Hudson, JI (2006). Are eating disorders associated with borderline personality disorder? a critical review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 8(1), 1 - 9.Zlotnick, C. (1998). The relationship between sexual abuse and eating pathology. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 20(2), 129 - 134.