Why Access to Eating Disorder Treatment Matters

The drastic changes in eating disorder treatment in recent decades has been extraordinary. The first treatment centers were based in a few hospitals across the country in the early to mid-80’s. The next two decades saw the rise of independent residential treatment centers often founded by recovered clinicians. The last five years introduced the corporatization of programs into national institutions.

A relatively obscure set of diagnoses have turned into a cultural touchstone and now big business. But the question that remains is how to give the best care to people struggling with eating disorders.

The most recent corporate model for treatment provides more access to care but much less personalized and less experienced care. Centers have opened up across the country and are then staffed often with relatively new graduates.

The overall trend of treatment has led to increased opportunity to find help and that’s extremely important, but that care is, on the whole, less effective overall. A corporate structure can’t provide the same individualized care as a stand alone center.

The complaints about the new business model in the eating disorder treatment community abounds. After being spoiled by personal, caring providers, the transition to a corporate approach is hard to swallow. But the transition also reflects a growing need. The incidence of people with eating disorders who need help continues to grow. And the population of these people has spread beyond the community who first got sick and includes all different kinds of people from all different kinds of backgrounds. Eating disorders know no bounds.

It was only a few years ago when residential treatment was a luxury afforded only to people who lived in the right part of the country and who had the financial means to afford it. The corporate model has spread this treatment more broadly geographically and accepts many insurance plans. Accordingly, access to care is now possible for many more people who need it. It’s hard to complain about that.

What’s also hard to fathom is that the US appears to have more treatment for eating disorders than many other countries. Having spoken to people with eating disorders from the UK, Germany, Mexico and Australia—all places with access to good health care—treatment was hard to find in their countries. In fact, people from many other countries come to the US for residential treatment because there is no similar option at home.

Although it’s easy and reasonable to point out the flaws in the eating disorder treatment industry, the value of adequate, accessible care is very high. People in need deserve care.