At first glance they might be sisters, but look again at this startling picture. They are, in fact, a 26-year-old mother and her daughter.
After suffering from anorexia, Rebecca Jones weighs five stone - less than her seven-year-old daughter, Maisy.
The medical secretary survives on soup, toast and energy drinks - even though doctors have warned her the lack of nutrients could kill her. At the same time she encourages 5st 9lb Maisy to enjoy chocolate and cupcakes.
Her eating disorder began following her parents' divorce when she was 11.
Comfort eating caused her to balloon to 15st, and she was teased at school and lost confidence in herself.
At 13, she says, "I pretty much stopped eating". After a drastic weight loss, friends began complimenting her figure and her family did not spot the dangers.
But within two years her weight was down to eight stone and her periods stopped.
She met Maisy's father when she was 19 and studying at Manchester University. She had assumed her anorexia had left her infertile and had no idea she was expecting until she felt a kick. A scan revealed she was 26 weeks pregnant.
Doctors urged her to eat chicken for protein and take vitamin pills to help her baby, but her stomach wasn't used to them.
As a result she survived on a diet of bread and beetroot during pregnancy and put on only 7lb during that time.
Nevertheless, Maisy was born healthy, but small at 5lb 7oz, and her mother couldn't produce milk to feed her.
After splitting with her partner, Miss Jones went on to a virtuallyliquid diet which took her weight down to five stone.
Now her daughter's weight has overtaken her as she enjoys cakes, chips and pizza. "It's wonderful to see her enjoying cakes", said Miss Jones, who lives in Manchester. "I've told her I have an eating disorder and she knows it's a bad thing."
Earlier this year, blood tests revealed Miss Jones had dangerously low potassium levels - a condition known as hypokalemia, which causes extrememuscle weakness. She now has her potassium levels and heart rate monitored at regular check-ups.
Doctors have warned her she is at risk of a fatal heart attack if she does not put on weight.
"I'm terrified I won't see Maisy grow up", she said. "I'd love to eat - I can think of nothing nicer than going out for lunch with Maisy, but I can't."


据英国《每日邮报》11月8日报道，图中两人一眼看去会以为是姐妹，但再仔细看看这张令人震惊的照片吧。事实上，她们是一位26岁的母亲和她的女儿。
患上厌食症以后，丽贝卡·琼斯体重仅为五英石（英国的一种计重单位）--比她七岁的女儿玫思还要轻。
这名医务秘书仅仅靠汤、面包和能量饮料维生--尽管医生已经警告过她营养的缺乏可能会要她的命。与此同时她鼓励体重5英石9磅的女儿玫思尽情享用巧克力和杯形蛋糕。

她的饮食失调症是从她11岁时父母离异后开始的。
为了安慰自己而狂吃使她迅速发胖到15英石，因此在学校被人戏弄，丧失了自信心。

在她十三岁时，她说，"我几乎停止了进食"。在经过高强度的减肥之后，朋友们开始称赞她的好身材，她的家人却还没有意识到危险性。
但在接下来的两年内，她的体重下降至八英石，月经也停止了。

她在十九岁那年遇见了玫思的爸爸，当时她正就读于曼彻斯特大学。此前她以为厌食症已经使她无法生育，她也没有想到她其实已经怀孕，直到感到肚子被踢了一下。扫描检查显示，她已经怀孕26周了。
医生建议她多吃鸡肉摄取蛋白质，并服用维生素药物来帮助她的孩子成长，但她的胃无法接受。

因此怀孕期间她只能吃面包和甜菜，体重仅仅长了7磅。
尽管如此，玫思出生时还是很健康，只是太轻，仅重5磅7盎司，而且她的妈妈也没有奶水喂养她。
与爱人分手后，琼斯小姐几乎只吃流质了，这使她体重降到了5英石。

现在她的女儿体重已经超过了她，因为她喜欢吃蛋糕、薯片和披萨。"看着她享用蛋糕我很高兴"，现居于曼彻斯特的琼斯小姐这样说。"我已经告诉她我有饮食失调症，她也知道这是件坏事。"

今年早些时候，血液检测显示琼斯小姐血液中的钾水平已经低得很危险--低血钾会引起严重的肌无力。现在她一直在做定期检查，监测钾含量和心率。

医生已经警告她，如果她还是无法增加体重，将会有患上致命心脏病的危险。

"我很怕自己不能看着玫思长大"，她说，"我喜欢吃--我能想到的最美好的事情就是和玫思一起出门共进午餐，但我不能。"

• suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)
• medical [´medikəl] a.医学的；医疗的 (初中英语单词)
• energy [´enədʒi] n.活力，精力；能力 (初中英语单词)
• divorce [di´vɔ:s] n.离婚 vt.同....离婚 (初中英语单词)
• stomach [´stʌmək] n.胃；胃口，食欲 (初中英语单词)
• healthy [´helθi] a.健康的 (初中英语单词)
• partner [´pɑ:tnə] n.伙伴 v.同....合作 (初中英语单词)
• liquid [´likwid] n.液体 a.流动的 (初中英语单词)
• extreme [ik´stri:m] a.尽头的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)
• muscle [´mʌsəl] n.肌肉；体力；力量 (初中英语单词)
• weakness [´wi:knis] n.虚弱；弱点，缺点 (初中英语单词)
• startling [´stɑ:tliŋ] a.惊人的 (高中英语单词)
• disorder [dis´ɔ:də] n.杂乱 vt.扰乱 (高中英语单词)
• balloon [bə´lu:n] n.气球 (高中英语单词)
• manchester [´mæntʃistə] n.曼彻斯特 (高中英语单词)
• virtually [´və:tʃuəli] ad.实际上，实质上 (英语四级单词)
• drastic [´dræstik] a.激烈的，猛烈的 (英语六级单词)
• protein [´prəuti:n] n.蛋白质 a.蛋白质的 (英语六级单词)
• dangerously [´deindʒrəsli] ad.危险 (英语六级单词)