Anorexia's Fallen Angel

Book excerpt: Anorexia's Fallen Angel contains all the ingredients of an irresistible read: a baffling disease that overwhelmingly afflicts the young and gifted, promises of a miracle cure, whistle-blowing insiders, and the personality cult surrounding a charismatic leader. Journalist Barbara McLintock tells the tale of Peggy Claude-Pierre, a mother with no professional training who claimed to cure eating disorders with unconditional love at the Montreux Clinic in Victoria, B.C. Breathless media coverage earned Claude-Pierre's clinic a worldwide reputation before allegations of force-feeding and patients being held against their will ultimately led to the clinic losing its license.