ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors' protocols for eating disorders were applied to 196 cases from 1993 to 1997. This group included persons from all regions of Italy; its significance is therefore not limited by cultural differences related to restricted areas of origin. The sample included a wide range of social classes, from low to very high. However, most of authors’ patients belong to the higher middle class. This may simply be due to the fact that theirs is a private centre of therapy. The first remarkable fact that emerged from an analysis of their case sample was, as expected, a marked prevalence of the disorder that they have called vomiting syndrome or vomiting. Two parameters were used to evaluate the efficacy of their treatment: The proven efficacy of the implemented treatment, that is, the evaluation of the final result of the therapy and the efficacy of the treatment over time.
