[Eating disorders in a health-psychology approach: model of pathogenic processing of cognitive information]

A new theoretical approach of cognitive information processing in eating disorders is introduced. It is based on the system theory with a view on health psychology. We are going to emphasize the deviations in the self-concept, the role of procedural memory in body image disturbance and the content of working memory supporting the appearance of cognitive dysfunctions in eating disorders. Despite the long-standing interest in eating disorders a coherent body of empirically supported knowledge that can be used to direct clinical practice, has yet to emerge. Although there are many possible causes of this limited progress, one important source of difficulty is that research completed to date has tended to be based on clinical models of psychopathology lacking a sound theoretical framework. The complex multidimensional nature of the model shows several possibilities of prevention and intervention in eating disorders.