Every body, every voice: What the future of eating disorder care looks like

While eating disorder treatment has evolved tremendously over the past few decades, there are still improvements that can be made.

We now know that eating disorders affect people of all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, body sizes, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Eating disorders simply don’t discriminate. However, many people may feel that treatment does discriminate or, at least, isn’t as inclusive as it should be.

Eating disorder treatment needs to look beyond symptoms alone and recognize the whole person, without assumptions. The future of care isn’t about a single new type of therapy or treatment model; it’s about creating programs that are more inclusive, collaborative, individualized, and responsive to lived experiences.

Eating disorders don’t look the same—treatment shouldn’t either

We have come a long way in expanding eating disorder care, but the journey is far from over for those still struggling to get the right diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, stereotypes still influence who gets care, and often, these stereotypes are fueled by common misconceptions, including that:

• Eating disorders only affect women.
• Only teenagers develop eating disorders.
• You have to be underweight.
• Athletes are just “disciplined.”
• Men don’t get eating disorders.
• Binge eating isn’t as serious.

Myths like these do real harm to those who need help for eating disorders. They can cause people to be resistant to treatment; providers may misdiagnose someone because of these stereotypes, and families may overlook warning signs.

These groups are often the victims of stereotypes that result in delays in getting treatment or not getting treatment at all:

• Men
• LGBTQIA+ individuals
• BIPOC individuals
• Larger-bodied individuals
• Mature adults
• Neurodivergent individuals

The future of eating disorder treatment isn’t about representation; it’s about making sure treatment is built to support everyone who needs it.

Whole-person care means looking beyond the eating disorder

Eating disorders don’t exist in isolation. For treatment to be truly effective and lasting, clinicians need to understand more than a patient’s relationship with food, weight, and eating behaviors. They also need to understand their history with co-occurring mental health illnesses (e.g., anxiety, depression), trauma, perfectionism, substance use, autism, grief—the list goes on.

You can’t just say someone is a person with anorexia. They’re also a college student. A parent. A veteran. An athlete. A caregiver. An artist. A spouse.

Recovery needs to support all identities. We need to treat the entire person and not just the eating disorder, as often, the eating disorder stems from something deeper within. Treating an eating disorder in a silo may mask symptoms and behaviors temporarily, but it may make relapse inevitable.

Within treatment, this could look like collaboration amongst the care team and ensuring that all clinicians are on board with the care plan and align on goals, rather than working in isolation. A patient’s support network should also be involved and could include family members and friends.

Individualized care for better outcomes

When we talk about individualized care, it means meeting people where they are while still maintaining evidence-based treatment.

For example, different people may need different:

• Meal support
• Types of therapy
• Family involvement
• Cultural consideration

The destination stays the same, but the path may differ.

Cultural competence

Cultural competence isn’t just about avoiding bias but about doing the work to understand the role of things like traditions, cultural food practices, and heritage that can significantly influence eone’s recovery journey.

When providers actively integrate these elements into a care plan, it builds a foundation of trust and safety that is essential for healing. This process validates the patient’s identity rather than forcing them to assimilate into a recovery model built on assumptions and stereotypes, ultimately making treatment feel more accessible and authentic.

We can’t just put everyone in the same box and expect the same results. It’s in the word—individual. We’re all individuals who need individualized care.

The future of the field

Eating disorder treatment isn’t ever going to stop evolving. And clinicians need to keep up. We all need to remain curious and open to new ideas. We need to understand the latest health trends, we need to be aware and open to new concepts, and we need to constantly think about how to ensure everyone who needs help gets it.

Continue asking questions like:

• Who isn’t accessing treatment?
• Who doesn’t feel represented?
• Who are we missing?
• What barriers still exist?
• How can we adapt without compromising quality?

There are so many individuals and things to learn from, including patients, families of patients, research, data, lived experience, communities, and collaboration.

The next chapter isn’t just about better treatments; it’s about broader perspectives. More voices. More collaboration. More humility. More individualized care.