ABSTRACT
Research in the outcome of eating disorders produces confusing conclusions about the long-term prognosis of anorexia and bulimia. A review of this research shows that the confusion stems in part from the wide range and often contradictory findings related to recovery and in part from the methodological problems that beset outcome research in general and anorexia and bulimia in particular. The variety of findings and the methodological difficulties are, of course, interrelated problems. Thus it is not easy to conclude from the research how optimistic one can be about a prognosis for eating disorders or about treatments for those disorders.
