ABSTRACT
Eating disorders disrupt family and social relationships and impede educational, financial, and employment goals. To that end, it is extremely important to consider all treatment possibilities when intervening with individuals with an eating disorder. The most paternalistic approach to helping an individual with an eating disorder is civil commitment. While it appears unethical to override an individual's right to choose the course of their care, it is in fact a most compassionate and truly beneficent approach. While civil commitment creates an environment that can reintroduce autonomy, it has also been argued that civil commitment violates a patient's right to decide (autonomy). Coercion via civil commitment and involuntary treatment demands understanding of the ethical considerations that are foundation of all clinical treatment. It takes courage to help our patients return to health and a valued life, even when it means overriding their autonomy and power to make decisions.
