IT'S easy to dismiss youngsters' eating disorders as an overdose of influence from the media and a bad example from current lean female icons. But, as our story tonight shows, it really is a far more complex issue.

Schoolgirls as young as 10 are being treated in Bolton for anorexia nervosa, and there are still likely to be around 262 children under 16 who could be suffering from this particular eating disorder alone, without getting the help they need.

Now, a new team of health professionals is to make up an Eating Disorder Service at the Royal Bolton Hospital. Its head, consultant psychiatrist Dr Mary Eminson, believes that the young patients already identified are just the "tip of iceberg". But, she points out that while skinny role models may be a major trigger factor of eating disorders in the very young, there are other reasons.

Anorexia tends to hit girls, and 10 per cent of boys, aged between 13 and 16, who are likely to be very self-conscious about their appearance and often conscientious perfectionists.

Children today are under tremendous pressure. Indeed, the idea of a "relaxed childhood" seems to be increasingly rare.

They are pressurised to achieve at school -- and often at home -- with structured tests from an early age and strong parental expectations. Perhaps parents themselves need to look at their own competitive instincts and how they are translated to family life.

It is entirely natural to want the best for our children. And it is also quite normal to idolise pop stars and others and to want to emulate them.

What is not normal or desirable is for children to starve themselves to achieve a particular look, or for parents to put children under such intolerable pressure generally that this is how it is translated. This new health service is very welcome, and we are sure that it will help many children and their families. But it is a terribly sad indictment of this age that we need a team of experts to help prevent our children starving themselves to death.