ABSTRACT
Although unique in many ways, eating disorders are like most disorders and problems in that they are more easily treated and the patient suffers less medically and psychologically if the problem is identified and treated early in the process. Preventive efforts aimed at early identification and treatment involve secondary prevention. Ideally, we would like to prevent eating disorders from occurring, or what has been called primary prevention. In primary or universal prevention, the goal is to decrease the incidence of eating disorders by decreasing exposure to risk factors and by increasing exposure to protective factors (Piran, 2002). This task is probably made more difficult, given the role of genetics in predisposing an individual to developing an eating disorder (Striegel-Moore & Bulik, 2007). We obviously cannot change one’s genetics (at least not at the time of this writing); thus, we must work to reduce other risk factors, especially those that serve to precipitate or perpetuate eating disorders.
