Acne as a risk factor for anorexia nervosa in Chinese

Acne is a highly visible and common skin disorder which is potentially disfiguring and associated with adverse emotional responses in adolescents, who are markedly sensitive to body image changes. Two psychologically vulnerable Chinese girls are reported, in whom traditional health concepts reinforced dieting behaviour, led to weight loss, regression of acne and eventually anorexia nervosa. The intricate interactions of acne, health beliefs, dieting behaviour and eating disorders are discussed.