“An estimated 8 million Americans have an eating disorder: seven million women and one million men.” (“South Carolina Department of Mental Health”). Skinny by Ibi Kaslik is about two sisters, Holly and Giselle, whose lives and relationships are influenced by the condition of each other. Giselle is a medical student who wanted to see what would happen if she stopped eating and because of this she developed anorexia. Holly is an eighth grader born deaf in her left ear. The story jumps back and forth, changing each chapter from Giselle's point of view to Holly's. This helps show the reader how one sister influences the other's life. Skinny by Ibi Kaslik shows how family problems can have a great effect on the lives of family members. Kaslik first introduces Giselle while she is admitted to an institution for people with eating disorders. Giselle's mother and Holly go to visit her and are told that Giselle will be released soon (she had only been in treatment for six weeks) and is ready to go home. After some time at home, Holly begins to notice how Giselle eats and behaves: I hate seeing her sit on the couch all day, too tired from her sugar high to do anything but stare at the TV. She talks about going back to school, but it's hard to imagine her getting herself together to even leave the house. How is he going to become a normal person and go back to school while still looking like a scarecrow and eating junk? So I decided to do something about it: I grabbed a garbage bag from under the sink and started throwing all the junk food in it. Then I approached her and grabbed the tub of ice cream from her hands. (Kaslik 20) ​​​​Holly's action, which in the eyes of the public seems... in the center of the card... anyone. Holly feels like she can't tell anyone but her sister because she'll be hospitalized. Therefore, family problems can have a great effect on the lives of people within the family. Kaslik demonstrates this by realizing Giselle and Holly's verbal and physical fights and their creation of imaginary friends. But in the end, no matter how you deal with stress, whether it's loss of appetite or jumping off a bridge, family is family, and they're always there for each other even if they feel like family is separate. Works Cited Kaslik, Ibi. Skinny. New York: Walker & Company, 2004. Print. Parenting and children's health. Np, nd Web. December 3, 2013. South Carolina Department of Mental Health. Np, nd Web. November 21. 2013. .