Many people with eating disorders suffer from the compounding problem of denial and may go to great lengths to hide their condition. A new test might be highly effective in diagnosing anorexia and bulimia by examining a few strands of hair.

The finding is important, because many people who suffer from eating disorders deny their problems exist and resist medical intervention.

Kent Hatch, PhD, and colleagues from Brigham Young University found that they could determine a person's eating habits by looking at as few as five strands of hair.

Hair is, in essence, a log of a person's nutritional health. As it grows, new proteins accumulate in the base of each strand. These proteins are influenced by an individual's eating habits.

The scientists said they can achieve 80 percent accuracy in testing for anorexia, as well as testing for both anorexia and bulimia, by analyzing carbon and nitrogen content in hair.

However, it was not effective in differentiating between women with bulimia and those who had no eating disorders, the researchers noted, possibly because malnourishment is less evident in people with bulimia.

Although the results of the research are promising, further testing is needed before the method can be used by healthcare professionals, according to Hatch. .