Living With Food: The Science Supporting Eating Disorder Treatment

By Dr. Mark Warren

Most professionals have an opinion about what causes eating disorders, and what effective treatments are. Opinions shape our perspective and begin our push for truth about the disorder. While having opinions about eating disorders and their treatments is generally a good thing, at CCED we believe that science must always take precedence over opinion. Science is what lets us know that the earth orbits the sun, or that the speed of light is an absolute. In the eating disorder world we are not so lucky to have such well known truths. Yet, over the last 10 years we have been incredibly fortunate to have researchers and scientists who have devoted their careers to figuring out what causes eating disorders, the biology of eating disorders, and what truly works to help people recover from these illnesses. Some of what we have learned supports our opinions, and some does not. But if we have learned anything, it is when the science of the disorder does not support our opinion we must understand that our own personal experience on which our opinion is based may not be correct for most people.

It is important that we honor our own experience, our own healing, and the healing of those we love. Each of our own truths helps us know that there is a way out of pain, out of misery, out of the eating disorder. These truths that come from our own experience and opinions are powerful messages because they tell us there is a way to recovery. What we know for certain is that people with eating disorders are helped by refeeding, community, and have the potential to recover with treatment.  As science and evidence based care continues to grow, so too will the prospects of a full and healthy life for all those with eating disorders.

Should you have questions or comments regarding this post please email blog@eatingdisorderscleveland.org.

Contributions by Sarah Emerman