I have a friendship group that goes back 25 years. We are not in each other's daily life but met maybe twice yearly together and then on an individual basis a few times annually.
During a recent annual get together one if the friends who has always been ritualist around food scared us all. She brought four wooden crates ( 2ft sq) with her of food tools, weird vials, dried seaweed, measuring impliments, etc. She has also recently set up a business involving ( specialist) food production. The whole weekend became a focus on food. She did not partake in any daily plans or leave the house but stayed in to cook. She cooked very small almost like baby food. It is obvious to the rest if us that she has an eating disorder. Her mother was with us and whenever we were out, she spoke if her daughter's weird OCD and food rituals. She ( the mother) feels helpless. Does anyone have experience of this. Our friend is 50, she has never been hospitalized for this but has all her adult life been very underweight and ritualistic around food. Is there anything we can do?