News of Peggy Claude-Pierre’s phenomenal success rate in curing “hopeless” sufferers of eating disorders spread quickly. Her Montreux Counselling Centre, operating in Victoria since 1993, gained instant notoriety after she appeared on Oprah, and following a 20/20 show devoted to the centre’s success. Both the public and professional interest is well-warranted.

In The Secret Language of Eating Disorders, Claude-Pierre provides an exciting new interpretation of anorexia and bulimia. She identifies an underlying factor, Confirmed Negativity Condition (CNC), that predisposes people to eating disorders. CNC, a mindset entirely composed of negativity, can best be described as a tyrannical internal voice that is hyper-critical, abusive, and self-destructive.

Those predisposed to CNC are altruistic, hyper-responsible, and acutely sensitive to the needs of others. It’s not that they have low self-esteem – they have no sense of self. Claude-Pierre maintains that eating disorders are symptoms of CNC; therefore, when the CNC is cured, the eating disorder disappears.

Many recovery programs rely on the patient’s will to modify destructive behaviour. Claude-Pierre, by contrast, argues that because anorexics and bulimics are consumed with self-loathing and profound negativity, they cannot be expected to shoulder the responsibility for their recovery. Therefore, at the Montreux Clinic, new patients receive 24-hour care.

The book covers a lot of ground. It critiques myths and misconceptions, suggests how to spot likely CNC candidates at an early stage, discusses how families can find help, and relates the challenges of healing a loved one at home. Many case studies provide examples of CNC’s devastating effects, and Claude-Pierre’s autobiographical references to helping both her daughters recover from anorexia add an engaging element to the book. My one criticism is that she sometimes falls into an ethereal style of writing (referring to patients as “angels”) that can be annoying, but this is a minor flaw.

Claude-Pierre’s book has been much anticipated. For the loved ones of the eight million (including approximately one million male) North American sufferers, it is a must-read.