Introduction Eating is a normal part of the human experience, and food has played an important role in our society throughout history. Although eating represents a basic need for survival and serves as fuel for the body’s sys- tems, the meaning of food is much more complicated than a biological necessity. Eating can represent a popular and beloved pastime for individ- uals and families, but negative and unhealthy aspects of our relationship with food may also be present. To this end, eating behavior exists on a spectrum ranging from healthy to unhealthy. Both severe undereating or anorexia nervosa and overeating are represented with the disordered eat- ing continuum. The types of eating disorders recognized by the healthcare fi eld and included in the current edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Men- tal Disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and feeding disorders such as avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). ARFID is represented by symptoms such as food avoidance, decreased appetite, and fear of vomiting or choking without the associ- ated body image concerns. Causes of eating disorders are multifaceted and include genetics, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Body dissatis- faction and the perpetuation of the thinness ideal are strong predictors of disordered eating behavior. Although eating disorders were not studied extensively until the 1980s and few treatment options existed before that decade, there was evidence
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