I am writing this for everyone. For those who know what I'm going to write about and those from whom this cup has passed.

I am a mother to two daughters. Both are sick. Nobody had any idea. I too failed to notice the progress of their disease for years until a deadly threat loomed large over our family.

I believe everyone whose child has ever faced a serious ordeal in their life would agree that nothing could be worse. One would not wish it to their worst enemy.

We read a lot about AIDS, TB. There are scores of government-supported programs to create clinics to treat those diseases. Public support is a great thing. Forewarned is forearmed. All correct.

I, however, was not forewarned — nor were tens of thousands of other mothers (I know now how many) — whose kids fell victims to the two dreadful plagues of our times — ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA. I didn't know what to do and where to look for help.

We tried it all: psychiatric and neurological clinics, antidepressants and much more.

Still, my elder daughter could not be cured. She is 5.6 ft. (172 cm) tall and now weighs less than 80 pounds (36 kg). Each new day is a strength test for her, me, and all of us. Each day passed brings both joy and unbearable terror.

My younger daughter has bulimia. And for years and years she concealed that, looking at the sufferings we were living through with her sister. She liked to see her sister get slim but after going to a model school she came to think of herself as a fat pig. A 13-year (5.5 ft., 121 lb.— 169 cm, 55 kg) girl was told: «Go get fit, then come, you're not what we're looking for.»  She didn't quit eating like her older sister did. She simply started purging away food in her body by whatever means available. Stimulated vomitting, laxatives, diuretics.

My girls won't be able to write about all that. Their life now hinges on their continued work with an expert. If you talk of the trouble again, you come back to it. I protect them from that. So it's me who is writing this. Swallowing tears, torn apart by pain for my two nearest and dearest, I am still writing about it because it must be voiced — I also have a granddaughter. And a niece. But there are millions of modeling agencies out there potentially ready to maim our girls. Let alone ads. Who is going to protect them from all that?

What's the matter? Hasn't there been enough of such stories? Not enough people dead from anorexia? Not enough living with bulimia, dooming themselves to lifelong disability and zero chance to live a normal social life. Infertility, miscarriages, broken families, bland, deficient life without joy and ingenuousness typical of youth because of food control, dieting, and bulimia! Is that not terrible? Look around you! Right off the bat you can name a number of people you know who are already facing such problems.

So young and beautiful, rather than living and giving birth, they choose to die. What in the world for? — I have asked myself that question a million times. For a trendy body and chic job?

Will the establishment of anorexia and bulimia clinics gain traction with the public? I'm asking everyone reading this article: Can this problem possibly be brought on home to everyone?

True, modeling business is about big money and there's no telling how many lives it has and will break.  It's all about money.

But how about our kids? What are we mothers supposed to do, ignorant of all the modern-age beauty? Not always can we even notice the threat. Where do we turn for help? Where do we get awareness and self-confidence for our girls?

When the trouble has come, where do we go? I wouldn't be writing this and asking these questions if during commercial breaks I heard anything to the effect of «Anorexia — down with lethal beauty!» or «Anorexia and Bulimia are dangerous. Keep your kids safe!» Looking back, if only I knew I really could turn to the best experts, to societies well-aware of the problem, aware of the other way of life for my child besides the psychiatric clinic and all those injections.

Psychoneurological health centers and clinics. Been there, done that. Anorexia and bulimia division. Treatment carried out by psychiatrists and psychoneurologists. Can't they see antidepressants are totally useless for these diseases!!! They are no cure!!! Psychotherapists? — yes. But how much are their services worth? A lot. A whole lot. No affordable specialized clinics exist which would offer long-term treatment by psychosomatologists, qualified treatment that works particularly well for this type of diseases.

I would like this article read carefully by deputees and public figures. What can we all do to have this problem voiced and dealt with on the government level? Under the aegis of the government.

For now all I can hope for is that those few who do treat such diseases will manage to unite and gain public support.

I would like to thank the outstanding expert Irina Kulchinskaya who created the website www.bulimiastop.ru and Anna Nikolayenko for their efforts and help to food addicts. These are the first authors of books on bulimia and anorexia who experienced the horrors of these ailments firsthand. There are only two of them. Only two combating the incredible plague of fashion trends devouring our kids. I am not trying to advertise them here, what they do is obvious. I only regret not having found out earlier about their professional activity.

I failed to save my own kids. Do you know what's with yours? Are you sure she isn't losing weight right now? Keep your kids safe. Keep them protected from anorexia and bulimia. These are frightening.