Eating habits cause for concern

Dear Annie: Let me start off by saying that I adore your column and read it every day. I trust your advice.
I think my best friend since kindergarten may be anorexic. This is only a small suspicion, but I have some proof to back it up. "Molly" hardly ever eats more than half of her sandwich, which she buys every day at school. All she gets, every day, is a sandwich and a piece of fruit. Then she eats half of her sandwich, picks at her fruit and drinks a pint-sized carton of chocolate milk.
The other thing that makes me nervous is that two of my other friends were over at Molly's house and found a scale under her bed. Annie, we are really starting to get scared. Do you think Molly has a problem? Worried Friend
Dear Worried: Maybe. Although Molly isn't eating a lot, she is getting some nutrition every day. The scale under her bed may indicate that she's obsessing about her weight, but it might also just be a convenient storage space.
You should talk to your parents about your concerns, and they can discuss it with Molly's parents. You should go to your school counselor or nurse if you notice Molly is eating less, exercising excessively or making frequent trips to the bathroom after lunch. Also check out kidshealth.org for more information on eating disorders. Molly is lucky to have such good friends to watch out for her.
Dear Annie: A family member is about to visit us for several days. It is fine with me, but she told my partner that she had invited a friend to come with her. They already have their airplane tickets.
Annie, I have problems living under the same roof with people I've never met. My partner said he told my relative to ask me first, but she didn't. This happened once before with someone else. At the end of that visit, the guest said she felt like family, but I hid how hard it was for me. My partner says I am unreasonable and a troublemaker. What do you think? Much Too Anxious
Dear Anxious: No one should be visiting you without an invitation. It is rude and intrusive. And there's no reason for you to open your home to a complete stranger. Many people would have a problem extending their hospitality that far.
Feel free to say, "So sorry, but we can't accommodate you." Your partner should be supportive instead of blaming you for not running a hotel. Tell him so.
Dear Annie: Dr. Larry S. Fields suggests that Congress should do more about health care. May I suggest that he and others in the medical field take a long look at themselves? When a doctor charges 168 for a 15-minute office visit and gives you a prescription that costs 1,700 for 28 pills, something is wrong.
What are people without insurance supposed to do? How does he expect a person earning minimum wage to pay for health insurance that costs 300 a month? In order to fix the health care crisis, pharmacies, insurance companies, doctors and hospitals need to start by reining in their costs. Louisville, Ky.
Dear Louisville: We sent your letter to the American Academy of Family Physicians and received a reply from its current president:
Dear Annie: It is indeed true that high health-care costs cannot be blamed on any one sector. It will take Congress, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, insurers and doctors working in concert to effect any meaningful change.
We believe every American should have access to affordable, high-quality health care coverage. The uninsured are four times more likely to not have a regular source of care and four times more likely to delay seeking care until a small health problem becomes a catastrophe. A system guaranteeing care would result in a healthier and more productive society and keep costs down for all. Rick D. Kellerman, M.D., FAAFP, President, American Academy of Family Physicians
Creators Syndicate
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