Karen Carpenter, the voice behind the immensely popular American musical act The Carpenters, battled anorexia nervosa, a condition that ultimately led to her tragic death at the age of 32. Her journey with weight loss began innocently enough but spiraled into a life-threatening eating disorder.
The Early Stages of Dieting
After graduating from high school, Karen Carpenter embarked on the Stillman water diet. While not obese, she considered herself a "chubby" 17-year-old, standing at 5ft 4in and weighing 10st 5lb. Initially, the diet seemed successful, as she leveled off at around 8st 8lb, maintaining her weight through sensible eating habits.
However, touring made it difficult for Karen to maintain a healthy eating schedule. In 1973, she noted the challenges of eating well on the road, explaining that they avoided eating before shows and often didn't have dinner until midnight, making it hard to sleep if they ate heavily.
The Turning Point
Karen's perception of her body image took a turn after seeing unflattering photos from an August 1973 Lake Tahoe concert. Disturbed by how she looked, she hired a personal trainer who prescribed a low-calorie, high-carbohydrate diet. Instead of losing weight, Karen gained muscle and bulked up, further discouraging her.
Determined to shed the unwanted pounds, she fired her trainer and began her own weight-loss program. She purchased a hip cycle, using it daily and taking it on tour with her. This rigorous routine led to an initial weight loss of around 20lb, which was met with compliments and encouragement.
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The Descent into Anorexia
However, Karen's pursuit of thinness became an obsession. Richard complimented her initial weight loss during a break from recording. This was the first time he paused to consider she might be taking the diet too far. Friends and family noticed extreme changes in Karen's eating habits, despite her attempts at subtlety.
She would rearrange food on her plate or offer samples to others to avoid eating. Her mother, Agnes, noticed this ploy and began mirroring her behavior, much to Karen's frustration.
As Karen's weight plummeted to 6st 6lb, she began layering clothing to hide her weight loss. Family friend Evelyn Wallace was shocked to see Karen's gaunt figure while sunbathing.
Public Perception and Concern
Karen's new, slim figure required a new stage wardrobe, which further exposed her deteriorating condition. Her agent, Sherwin Bash, was horrified by her bony shoulders and ribs and tried to persuade her to rethink her wardrobe choices.
Audiences often gasped at Karen's appearance, and concerned fans approached Bash, assuming she had cancer or some other disease. Critics also took note of her gaunt appearance, with one Variety review commenting on her deteriorating appearance and suggesting more becoming gowns.
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The Lack of Understanding
In the 1970s, anorexia nervosa was not well understood. Band member John Bettis noted that the solution seemed simple from the outside: eat. However, anorexia is a complex psychological disorder, an attempt to have control - something in your life you can do something about, that you can regiment. That just got out of control with her.
Band members witnessed Karen's exhaustion, as she often had to lie down between shows. Bash confronted Karen about her anorexia and attempted to get her professional help, but her family resisted external intervention, preferring to handle the matter internally.
The Role of Family Dynamics
Bash believed that Karen's dieting was fueled by a need for attention from her mother, Agnes, who primarily doted on Richard. He said that Karen had never had attention from Agnes before - her mother doted exclusively on Richard - so she liked it. The experts say that one of the things that seems to drive young girls to overdiet is that they were oftentimes the kids that never got attention. It's a way of getting the love from their family that they never got before.
Medical Intervention and a Glimmer of Hope
By the autumn of 1975, Karen's failing health could no longer be ignored. She checked into Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, where doctors diagnosed her with severe physical and nervous exhaustion and canceled her upcoming European tour.
Under Agnes Carpenter's close watch, Karen slept 14-16 hours a day and eventually gained some weight, reaching 7st 6lb.
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Continued Struggles and a Troubled Marriage
Over the next five years, Karen continued to struggle with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. In June 1980, she announced her engagement to property developer Tom Burris.
However, the marriage was short-lived and fraught with problems. Burris's deceit about a prior vasectomy and his financial dependence on Karen exacerbated her emotional distress. According to Karen's friend Karen Kamon, the marriage was "the straw that broke the camel's back."
Desperate Measures and Radical Treatment
In 1981, Karen sought help from psychotherapist Steven Levenkron in New York. The treatment was radical and controversial.
Despite her intent to overcome her disease, O'Brien wrote that "from the beginning she was undermining the treatment in surreptitious ways. Levenkron's office on East 79th Street was 19 blocks away from the Regency Hotel, but instead of conserving energy by taking a limousine, Karen would power-walk up Madison Avenue, burning calories as she did so. After breakfast with Itchie - bacon, two eggs over easy and toast - she would visit the bathroom and ingest Dulcolax laxatives so she could purge.
Karen reportedly told Levenkron that she could take over 90 laxatives at once, and she did so to expel any food she'd digested. O'Brien also wrote that the singer took 10 thyroid pills daily to increase her metabolism.
In September 1982, she was admitted to Lenox Hill Hospital, weighing only 77 pounds. She gained 20 pounds during her stay and was discharged in November, declaring herself "cured."
A False Sense of Recovery and Tragic End
However, Karen's recovery was short-lived. She returned to California, determined to rebuild her life. On February 4, 1983, she was found unconscious in her parents' home and pronounced dead at the age of 32. The cause of death was heart failure related to her long battle with anorexia nervosa.