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New Home.....

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:49:06 GMT

Ok, i havent been properly updating this site for two reasons... a) i've been away at training with no net access and b) for some reason the military likes to block xanga on its computers but not livejournal. so for mainly reason b Ana In The News has a new home at www.AnaInTheNews.blogspot.com and will soon be getting its own domain name!!!!!!!!!! *squee* please do check it out and continue to check it regulary since i am not in a position where i can update it.

Girls get anorexia 'because their brains are wired differently'

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:06:26 GMT

Stick-thin models such as Kate Moss do not encourage young women to become anorexic, say scientists.

The trend for size-zero models is often blamed for triggering the eating disorder in young women seeking to emulate their catwalk idols.

But, in research that rejects the theory, scientists say that the brains of those with anorexia are wired differently to those of the rest of us.

Those who develop anorexia are born with a susceptibility to the condition, they say.

Although it is not clear why this might be, other researchers have suggested that the risk of developing anorexia could be inherited or might be down to a fault in brain development at a young age.

Professor Walter Kaye, who carried out the research, said: "This piece of research points to the fact that the brains of people with anorexia are wired differently.

"This means they react and think in different way to the ordinary person and that they are likely to go to develop anorexia regardless of whether they have been exposed to images of superthin models."

Professor Kaye, of the University of Pittsburgh, added: "If it was simply impressionable young girls and women wanting to look like a supermodel, then we would have hundreds of thousands of anorexics.

"The number of young women and men who develop anorexia is relatively small, mercifully - and what we are really looking at is a condition that is already predisposed in some."

Psychiatrists in the U.S. studied the brain activity of a group of former anorexics with that of a group of normal volunteers.

They found that the two groups' brains performed differently during a series of tests of emotional responses.

Compared to the healthy volunteers, former anorexics gained no pleasure from winning rewards.

Models like Lily Cole are not to blame for anorexia

Professor Kaye, whose research was reported in The American Journal of Psychiatry, said: "A year or more after recovery, these former anorexics still had difficulty in enjoying simple pleasures.

"What this points to is that anorexics have something different going on in their brains which marks them out has having either different structures in the brain or different pathways for processing of thought, that stay with them for life.'

Dr Ian Frampton, a psychologist a Exeter University has been working with anorexics using the same technology.

The U.S. research supports a growing feeling that anorexia is caused by brain structure, he said.

"You would expect a lot more anorexics than we currently have if it was down to advertising and peer pressure and images of famous models like Kate Moss.

"These youngsters have something going on in their brain that is different.

"We are not totally sure what is happening, but we think that some of this might be inherited or some might be due to a fault in the developing brain either in the womb or during early childhood.

"We need to move away from this idea that supermodels are to blame."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=502705&in_page_id=1774&ito=1490

Anorexia ‘cannot be picked up by looking at photographs of super-thin models’

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:04:59 GMT

Anorexia may be caused by inherited differences in the way a sufferer’s brain operates, leading to obsessive behaviour, according to research.

Rather than being triggered by images of super-thin models and celebrities, the eating disorder could be brought on by the in-built way in which the brain responds to pleasure and reward. It has been argued that images of unhealthily thin stars in the media have encouraged anorexic behaviour in impressionable young women. But a study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that the brains of anorexia sufferers behave differently to those of the rest of the population and that certain people are born with a susceptibility to develop the condition.

A team of psychiatrists, led by Walter Kaye, of the University of Pittsburgh, tested the emotional responses of 13 former anorexics compared with those of 13 nonsufferers.

The women were asked to play a computer game where correct guesses were rewarded financially. During the test, the team used functional MRI scans to monitor the participants’ brain activity by measuring blood levels in certain areas.

Among the nonsufferers, the brain region connected to emotional responses – the anterior ventral striatum – showed strong differences between winning and losing the game. Among the women with a history of anorexia, however, there was little difference in activity between winning and losing.

Professor Kaye said: “In anorexia, this might impact on food enjoyment. For anorexics, then, perhaps it is difficult to appreciate immediate pleasure if it does not feel much different from a negative experience.”

Another brain area, the caudate, involved in linking actions to outcome and planning, was far more active in the recovering anorexics than in the control group. The former tended to have exaggerated worries about the consequences of their behaviours, looked for rules where there were none and were overly concerned about making mistakes.

“There are some positive aspects to this kind of temperament. Paying attention to detail and making sure things are done as correctly as possible are constructive traits in careers such as medicine or engineering,” Professor Kaye said. “But carried to extremes, such obsessive thinking can be harmful, which is what happens in anorexia. This piece of research points to the fact that the brains of people with anorexia are wired differently.

“This means they react and think in different ways to the ordinary person and that they are more likely to go on to develop anorexia regardless of whether they have been exposed to images of super-thin models.”

Professor Kaye said that his study showed that even former anorexics still had difficulty enjoying simple pleasures. “What this points to is that anorexics have something different going on in their brains, which marks them out as having either different structures in the brain or different pathways for processing thought that stay with them for life. We may be able, with a lot of hard work, to get them back to eating, but deep down in their brain there appear to be biological differences that don’t go away.”

Ian Frampton, a psychologist at Exeter University, has been working with anorexics using the same MRI technology. He said: “Professor Kaye’s research supports a growing feeling that anorexia is a biological condition caused by the brains of some people being structured in a different way. We are still conducting our research, but we are seeing similar things.

“We are not totally sure what is happening in these youngsters but we think that some of this might be inherited or some might be due to a fault in the developing brain either in the womb or during early childhood.”

Dr Frampton said that while all adolescent girls have issues about body image, for most it is a passing phase: “We need to move away from this idea that supermodels are to blame. It is probably not good for them to look as they do. But for anorexics, the desire not to eat and to be thin seems to be already in them and not something they can pick up by looking at a magazine.

“There were, after all, anorexics before super-thin models.”

Possible triggers

–– Recognition of anorexia nervosa dates from work in London and Paris in 1873, but a disorder apparently resembling it was first written about by John Reynolds, a physician and minister, in 1669
–– Beat, the eating disorders charity, says that a disorder is unlikely to result from a single cause. Potential triggers include low self-esteem, problems with friends or family relationships, the death of someone special, problems at work or university, sexual or emotional abuse
–– The most likely group to be affected are young women, especially those aged 15 to 25
–– About 90,000 people in Britain are estimated to be receiving treatment
–– The effects of anorexia, other than weight loss, can include constipation, dizzy spells, bloated stomach, downy hair on the body, poor blood circulation, loss of periods, loss of interest in sex and loss of bone mass, eventually leading to osteoporosis

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3060191.ece

Female hormones in womb may play part in anorexia

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:03:43 GMT

New York, December 17: Anorexia is 10 times as common in women as in men, and a new study suggests that female sex hormones in the womb may play a part.

Researchers used the Swedish twin registry to study 4,226 pairs of female twins, 3,451 pairs of male twins and 4,478 pairs of opposite-sex twins, all born from 1935 to 1958. They found 51 cases of anorexia among the female twins, 3 among the male twins and 36 among the opposite-sex pairs. The study was published in the December issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry.

As expected, the risk of anorexia in female twins was higher than in male twins. But in the opposite-sex twins, 16 anorexia cases, almost half, were in males. In other words, the male member of a male-female twin pair had a risk for anorexia statistically no different from the risk among females.

Studies have shown that shared family environment has little effect on the development of anorexia. Instead, the researchers theorise, the shared intrauterine environment of male-female twin pairs leads to the increased risk for the males. Female sex hormones may influence neurodevelopment and later risk for anorexia.

“Anorexia is a dangerous illness,” said Dr Marco Procopio, lead author and a research fellow at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. “It’s important that we be aware of the early signs of the disease.”

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/251513.html

Ricci battled with anorexia

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:02:12 GMT

Dec. 18, 2007 07:42 AMChristina Ricci's teenage battle with anorexia stopped her enjoying her fame.

The 'Black Snake Moan' star felt pressured to conform to the Hollywood ideal of perfection and admits the struggle made her unhappy.

Christina, 27, said: "I was a teenager going through adolescence and at one point I had a little anorexia phase and then I kind of ballooned. I feel my body now is the adult Christina and it's what I should have come to a long time ago if I hadn't been screwing around with my body so much.


OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1')

"I was too busy thinking about my skin or my weight or the clothes I was wearing instead of just enjoying it and saying, 'I can't believe I get to be here. This is awesome and I'm going to experience it.' "

The actress - who is about to star opposite James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon in new romantic comedy 'Penelope' - admits she is vain, but she has learned not to obsess about her looks.

She added to US TV show 'Entertainment Tonight': "The more weight you give your criticisms, the more it's going to affect you.

"Vanity is unnecessary. I'm the vainest person around but I have found a way to let that go so I can just have fun. You really have to make a decision in life that you're not going to be crippled by your insecurities."

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/1218ricci-CR.html

A year off: Stepping away to move forward

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:44:58 GMT

Chris '10 entered his freshman year like every other Princeton student: ready to face the challenges that awaited him. But by sophomore year, everything seemed to be going wrong. Relationship issues, family financial problems, the nights he spent partying instead of studying, a recent diagnosis of bipolar II, not to mention a Princeton workload, had all finally taken a toll on him. He was in danger of failing out. "It was a difficult situation," Chris said. "I didn't know what to do."

With the end of fall semester rapidly approaching, he sought the advice of his residential college dean. In that meeting he was offered two choices: He could stay at the University and try to make the best of a bad situation, or he could take a leave of absence and start his sophomore year again. It's a choice that many Princeton students have to make. And Chris represents the 40 to 60 of those students each year who decide to take time off for psychological reasons, according to Hilary Herbold, associate dean of undergraduate students. While the psychological reasons behind taking time off vary from student to student, the decision to do so is almost always a difficult one. The University says it is committed to helping these students achieve success at Princeton, and, thanks in part to support networks, that goal is realized. Many of the students interviewed for this article requested anonymity to protect their privacy.

Tipping points

From the grief of a parent's death to a severe case of anorexia, students may choose to take time off for a host of different reasons. To appropriately handle the different circumstances, Herbold said, she and other administrators group students into three informal categories.

The first category includes students who may have been struggling emotionally but have been able to function in the community. Herbold says these students may be doing well academically, but feel that they are not getting the most out of their college experience.

The most populated category — and the one Chris was grouped in — is the second one, which includes students who are not a risk to themselves but face serious psychological issues that prevent them from functioning well as a student. Like Chris, Jessica Bates '10 faced academic and psychological difficulties. She has struggled with depression since the death of her mother when she was 16. At Princeton, coping with her depression made it difficult to hand in her work on time and resulted in poor grades. "I was feeling overwhelmed," Bates said. She took two years off after the middle of fall semester of sophomore year but has since returned to pursue her degree.

Herbold said that fewer than five students a year find themselves placed in the third category — the students who pose an imminent danger to themselves or others, who are the highest concern for administrators. Actions that may put students into this category include attempted suicide, life-threatening drinking habits or severe anorexia. Legally, only students in this category can be asked to leave the University; any other student must voluntarily withdraw.

"There is a certain point in which you are really too sick to be a student, and actually being a student can be making you sicker," Herbold said.

'A Weighty Decision'
During a mental health crisis, applying to take time off is fairly simple, but making the decision to do so can be harder. To ease the difficulty, University administrators step in to help students with what Butler College Dean David Stirk called a "weighty decision" that will affect their future success at Princeton.

The decision-making process can include input from Herbold, a director of student life, a UHS counselor, the dean of the residential college, the student and even some family members. One student said the University paid for her dad to fly from Texas to Princeton to sit in on the meeting. Herbold stressed that the University counselors cannot reveal information, even to the family, without the student's permission.

The college office is the first stop for many when they consider taking time off. For the first time, this year all students are expected to see the director of student life in their residential colleges. In previous years, underclassmen went to the dean of their college, while upperclassmen approached class deans and department representatives. Deans say that the administrators do not advocate a particular choice from the onset, but help students figure out which option is best for them.

These options can include helping students find coping mechanisms. "Sometimes the conversation is about, 'Under what conditions could you stick it out?' " Dean of Mathey College Steve Lestition said. He added that he often has to inform students that they have a right to take time off in the first place.

According to University policy, students are allowed to take up to three years off without forfeiting their guaranteed readmission. Beyond those years a student may return to Princeton, but their admission is not guaranteed. Most students only take one year.

But many Princeton students, who are used to doing well academically, worry that even one year is too long of a detour from their educational plans. They may even feel a sense of shame or embarrassment about having to take a break, several deans said, because it is not part of the typical Princeton experience. "I thought it would mess everything up," Bates said. "I went straight through elementary [and] high school, so I thought college would be just like that."

Students who take time off must also come to terms with the fact that they will graduate with another class. The idea that their friends in the same year will leave them behind can be particularly painful. "Being a member of a class, for instance, 2010, has a real meaning here that is important to people," Stirk said. He added that class identification seemed to be more important at Princeton than at NYU, where he worked before coming to the University.

Saying goodbye to friends is one of the hardest parts about taking time off, and students often feel anxiety about whether these friendships will continue upon their return. "[My friends] were definitely shocked," Chris said. "[And] they were definitely supportive ... They told me, 'Hey, we will be here next year.' "

But these concerns should not deter students who need a break from Princeton from taking a leave of absence, students and administrators said. Students who choose to take time off can benefit from a new perspective or motivation toward academics, medical attention and a chance for self exploration. "If you need it, I definitely recommend it," Chris said. "It's better to find yourself sooner rather than later."

Being Ready

To help them find success upon their return, students are usually given a set of recommendations by their dean and a counselor at UHS about what they should do during their time away. These recommendations typically include things like weekly counseling, getting psychiatric help or taking a college course. "We are invested in you coming back, and we are invested in you succeeding," Herbold said.

The goal of these recommendations is to try to help students develop strategies for successful completion of their Princeton career and beyond, said Dr. John Kolligian, director of Counseling and Psychological Services.

In order to return to Princeton, many students must be given a psychological exam on campus by a counselor at CPS. During the interview, students are asked general questions about how things are going and if they completed the recommendations. "It's fairly subjective," Kolligian said. "We are making an assessment, based on what a student is telling us, of how they are doing."

Based on the personal examination and written recommendations from counselors at home, CPS makes a recommendation to the student's dean, who ultimately authorizes the return. While students who take time off are often insecure about the certainty of their readmission, Herbold stressed that usually students are only denied readmission if they pose a significant risk to themselves.

Despite the benefits that the break can provide, the transition back to the University can be awkward for some students. Students often have to "renegotiate" their old friendships and try to develop new ones, Kolligan said. "It's kind of tricky when you're first introducing yourself for the first time in your RCA group," Sarah '11 said. She took a year off after Fall Break of her freshman year. Since her return, she has kept up some of her previous friendships but has made more friends in her new class.

Now that Chris is back to finish his sophomore year, he says that he does not get to see his old friends because he is not partying like he used to, and they don't live near him. But the streamlined social life and time off from Princeton has given him the time and motivation to earn a B+ average in his classes this semester.

"I am completely different person since last year," Chris said. "I wish I didn't have to take year off. But I'm glad it was an option."

http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2007/11/29/arts/19510.shtml

Starving For Attention

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:43:29 GMT

Teresa Jun KOLD News 13 News Reporter

Anorexia and bulimia - it's easy to think these eating disorders affect just girls and women. But in reality, a growing number of boys and men are being diagnosed.

Matt Lind is a 20-year-old student attending the University of Arizona. These days, he's careful to get plenty of nutrients into his body, and maintains a healthy diet.

But all through his teenage years, Matt had a nearly-fatal fear of food. "It just became an obsession," he said. "It got to the point where I was purging 7 or 8 times a day."

Matt battled bulimia for six years, and anorexia for one year. It all began around age 14, when Matt wanted to lose weight before starting high school.

"I thought it would be a fresh start for me to look different," he said. "But the way I went about it was obviously completely wrong."

By his college years, Matt had shrunken beyond what his body could handle. "I could see every bone in my ribs and chest, and it's just terrible," Matt said. "But at the time, I thought I looked good."

Matt became increasingly weak, isolated himself from friends, and became depressed. But still, he kept quiet. He was afraid - as a guy - of admitting his illness.

"I was scared of what my dad was going to think of me, my brothers, my fraternity brothers," he said.

"I think there's a lot of stigma and shame about the disease," said Dr. Jeannette Rojas, an eating disorder therapist at Sierra Tucson, one of the few recovery centers in southern Arizona that treats men with eating disorders. "Usually it's been seen as a female illness, which is not accurate."

Dr. Rojas treats a handful of men every month. She says it's becoming more common to see patients like Matt.

In fact, a Harvard study conducted in February 2007 found that as many as one in every four patients suffering from anorexia or bulimia are male. Some experts believe the numbers might even be higher, if more men came forward.

"As I said, there's a lot of shame, so many men won't seek treatment," Dr. Rojas said. "They won't talk about their symptoms, and professionals might not be able to identify what is going on."

Every day now, Matt gets online, visits discussion boards about eating disorders, and tries to reach out and tell other guys they're not alone. "What's sad about it is there's a spot on the websites for men with eating disorders, but no one's ever posting under it."

But by sharing his story, Matt hopes more men will realize it's not only okay, but critical, they find help. "I was close to death," he said. "I've seen people in treatment close to death, and if you don't get help for an eating disorder, you will die."

For more information on Sierra Tucson Recovery Center:

log onto: www.sierratucson.com

http://www.kold.com/global/story.asp?s=7410189

Precursor to anorexia?

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:42:06 GMT

Girls who are shy about eating in public should seek help, experts say
Home News Tribune Online 11/27/07
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By ROBIN HILMANTEL
USA TODAY
Whenever Leslie Lipton was handed a menu, she'd freeze.

She suddenly would feel that all eyes were upon her, noticing and judging her eating habits. This was something she couldn't quite swallow when she was a teenager.

"I'd sit there, and I'd wait, and I'd see what everyone else was ordering before I ordered," says Lipton, now 21 and a student at Barnard College in New York City.

Lunch in the high school cafeteria felt like a competition. "Everyone would be looking at everyone else's tray to see what everyone else was eating," says Lipton. "If you eat less, at least the comparisons are good."

Lipton says this reluctance to eat in public was the prologue to her anorexia, the starvation eating disorder from which she has since recovered. But, she says, many girls across the country avoid food in public even if they eat normally at home.

This self-conscious group is convinced that without the classical symptoms of an eating disorder, such as extreme weight loss, there's no problem.

But parents and friends are often left wondering at what point such behavior indicates that an eating disorder is brewing.

Lipton, who now speaks to girls across the country about eating disorders and her recovery, says the phenomenon is "rampant." The author of "Unwell: A Novel," which was published last year, Lipton blames society's emphasis on thinness. "People don't seem to look at girls as needing food," she says.

"Anecdotally, that's a pretty common sort of scenario: not wanting to be appearing to eat or competing either implicitly or explicitly to eat less," says Doug Bunnell, a clinical psychologist and eating disorder treatment specialist in Connecticut and a former president of the National Eating Disorders Association.

EDNOS

Not eating in public is one of several behaviors known in the eating disorder community as EDNOS, or eating disorders not otherwise specified. Purging occasionally, chewing a large amount of food but spitting it out, and obsessively dieting also fall into this category.

"That is where people fall in the cracks," says Lynn Grefe, chief executive of the National Eating Disorder Association. "They're not getting treatment, and they think, "I don't really have a problem, do I?' "

Bernardo Carducci, director of Indiana University Southeast's Shyness Research Institute, calls it the Scarlett O'Hara syndrome. In a famous scene in "Gone With the Wind," Scarlett's maid tells her not to eat at a barbecue if she wants to uphold her reputation.

"She's pulling her in that corset, and then she's saying, "We want you to eat a little bit now so you won't eat when you go to the party,' " says Carducci, adding that the message reinforces stereotypes about feminine appearance and social behavior.

He says that when adolescents think like that, they're vulnerable to eating disorders.

"They control their eating as a way to sort of control all this change that's occurring in their life, but they also use this as a way to control what other people think about them," he says.

James Mitchell, president of the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute in Fargo, N.D., focuses on eating disorders in his research. He says the large number of girls who don't eat in public is under the radar because weight concerns are so prevalent in this country.

While this behavior is a phase for some, the consequences could be serious for others, experts say, including malnutrition and the progression to a full-blown eating disorder. Bunnell says those are real risks for young women when body image and weight have become the dominant measure of self worth.

Grefe has even talked to grown women who gave up eating in public for life after being teased in elementary school.

"They're not seeing it as a joyful time to interact with family and friends and breaking bread," she says. "They're seeing it as a test or it says something about them."

Advice

Lipton urges girls to seek treatment early.

"I don't think there's really that much of a difference between convincing yourself it's OK to be anorexic and convincing yourself it's OK not to eat in public," says Lipton. "Even if you're not classically anorexic and 50 pounds, that doesn't mean that you don't have a problem. That doesn't mean that there isn't help out there to be had."

Experts give this advice to girls struggling with this issue:

Learn about eating disorders. Treatment and information resources are available at the National Eating Disorders Association at www.myneda.org or by calling (800) 931-2237.

Befriend girls who have healthful eating habits and are comfortable with eating in public.

Volunteer or get a job that involves serving others. Such activities build confidence and forge connections with people who evaluate each other based on willingness to help, not weight.

Talk to a trusted adult or a guidance counselor. Cognitive therapy or other forms of professional counseling can provide an awareness of negative thought processes.

http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/LIFE/711270463

Hula-hoops offer hope for anorexics

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:00:13 GMT

Tuesday November 27, 02:28 PM

Anorexics and others struggling with eating disorders are getting relief from clowning around, literally.

An unusual course in circus skills is helping people with disordered eating overcome their compulsive tendencies by juggling, tightrope walking and aerial swinging.

The world-first program aims to build trust and encourage patients, particularly those with anorexia and bulimia, reconnect with their bodies in a unique environment, says group co-ordinator Jani White, from Melbourne's NorthWestern Mental Health.

It also helps patients develop a healthier attitude to exercising, Ms White said.

"In recent years there has been an increase in the number of eating disorder patients for whom exercising excessively to achieve or maintain low weights has been a major problem," she said.

"Interventions to interrupt this compulsive cycle are recommended, but it presents a dilemma because moderate levels of exercise can be effective in promoting a sense of wellbeing and can be a great way to build social and recreational interests."

The pilot program uses performance circus skills - acrobalance, aerials, juggling and hula hoops - to help people build trust and learn positive risk-taking while also developing strength and flexibility.

"Learning and executing circus skills requires a lot of concentration," Ms White said.

"Unlike running on a treadmill, swinging from a trapeze or climbing a rope has an edge to it that demands attention."

She said three of the six patients enrolled in the pilot program have gone on to join mainstream exercise classes "with a new and clear understanding about the role of exercise, in both sustaining their illness and in treating it".

It is expected the program will be rolled out in Melbourne next year once ongoing funding is secured.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/071127/9/2qlx.html

Olivia Newton John's daughter beats anorexia

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:58:21 GMT

November 24, 2007 12:00am

ON the eve of the release of her debut album, Olivia Newton John's daughter Chloe Lattanzi says she has finally put her ongoing anorexia battle behind her and is feeling "the happiest I have ever been.''

After a troubled few years fighting to overcome her eating disorder, the 21-year-old singer has temporarily left LA to "get back to my roots'' in Sydney and focus on putting the finishing touches on her upcoming "album, No Pain.

It's a product that's been four years in the making, but after several album title changes and severing ties with record company Warner Music, Lattanzi finally feels she is in the right space to release her sound to a public audience.

"It's been a long journey - it's like my life is in that album. But I finally feel like I am centered and I'm ready,'' Lattanzi told Confidential yesterday.

"I have come through (my anorexia) and I feel strong and ready to support other girls going through the same thing - I have a responsibility now to do that.

"I wouldn't take back what I've been through, it's made me a better person and I'm so much happier within myself.''

Lattanzi arrived in Australia with Newton-John to attend the unveiling of the bronze Irwin family statue at Australia Zoo last week, but will spend the next month in Sydney working on her independent release.

Shrugging off the inevitable musical comparisons to her famous Mum, Lattanzi has opted to sample ONJ's 1980 hit Magic in her first single, It's Magic - which Lattanzi will debut to the Australian market first.

"I'm always going to be compared to her, so I thought `why not bring her into the mix,'' Lattanzi laughed.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22809266-5012964,00.html?from=public_rss