Eating disorders and obesity

Continued increases in the prevalence of both eating disorders and obesity and increasing awareness of the overlap between these conditions have focused attention on the need to consider them together in clinical and public health interventions. To date, however, collaboration between researchers in the development of integrated interventions has been the exception rather than the rule, and trials of these interventions have met with limited success. In this chapter, we clarify the nature and scope of the associations between eating disorders and obesity, the potential for interventions simultaneously targeting these conditions, and related issues. Increasing consensus on certain issues, such as addressing the adverse impact of weight-related stigma, promises greater collaboration moving forward. However, better awareness and understanding of the conspicuous associations between eating-disordered behavior and increased body weight among stakeholders in both fields, and greater priority given to health promotion and universal prevention programs, will be important in consolidating this progress. It will also be important to consider whether and to what extent the increasing medicalization of both eating disorders and obesity that has occurred in recent years is beneficial for individuals affected by these conditions.