Anorexia Nervosa: Is Prevention Possible?

Recent research supports the current idea that the incidence of anorexia nervosa and related eating disorders is increasing in Western societies. This phenomenon raises questions regarding the possibilities of prevention. It seems difficult, if not impossible, to change sociocultural influences such as the fashion of slenderness, and upper/middle-class family characteristics. It is more fruitful to search for different risk factors and ‘suspicious’ signs instead of deducting preventive measures from any linear theory of causation. Specific attention should be paid to early recognition of (pre) anorexics, but this secondary prevention is seriously hampered both by patient delay and doctor delay.