ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book begins with a specific focus on the philosophical concept of embodiment as it is related to a holistic vision for eating disorder prevention and treatment. The construct of embodiment offers the perspective of the self as an integrated whole. Embodiment and eating disorders are situated at the crossroads of a variety of disciplines, and together they represent an integration of psychology, philosophy, medicine, politics, literature, culture, and neuroscience. Together, the integration of feminism and existentialism provides a conceptualization of the embodied self in eating disorder prevention and treatment as representing resistance to sociocultural objectification of women's bodies. These perspectives provide language for exploring eating disorders which honour the aspects that are deeply personal and also contextualized within the larger social story.
