Factors predicting reluctance to seek treatment in patients with eating disorders

Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are common problems in young women, yet many delay or never seek treatment for them. A semistructured telephone interview that addressed various eating problems was conducted with 78 consecutive patients referred to a university hospital eating disorders clinic. It was hypothesized that individuals who subsequently followed through with treatment would differ in some easily recognizable characteristics from those who did not. No significant differences were found in variables, including duration of eating problems, frequency of binge eating or vomiting, history of previous treatment, or presence of associated physical problems. However, individuals who abused laxatives, those with depression, and those who were least satisfied with their current weight tended to avoid coming to the clinic for treatment. These findings suggest that individuals with more severe eating problems may be the most reluctant to seek treatment.