ABSTRACT
Eating disorders constitute an array of problems that create a substantial amount of misery and dysfunction for sufferers and their families. As such, disordered eating is a significant social and economic issue for industrialized societies around the world. Testimonies from patients and their families, as well as reflections from sensitive clinicians, often include the statement “if only”—if only she had developed a stronger sense of self, if only something like a sexual assault had never happened, if only something could have been done at an earlier point in the child’s life-then it is likely that the eating disorder would have been prevented.
