Health promotion and the prevention of dieting-induced disorders

Abstract

A conventional approach to preventing anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa focuses on the predisposing characteristics and risk factors that must be modified in order to reduce the prevalence of these illnesses. Interest in and support for health promotion have, however, grown steadily since the mid-1980s. The current emphasis within public health is on facilitating the conditions that allow individuals to gain control over the determinants of their health: this encompasses all aspects of their physical, psychological, and social well-being. Thus, attention should be paid to the factors that cause young women and girls to feel they are not in control. Opportunities should be provided for them to define what and who they would like to be, and to facilitate their endeavors toward achieving their potential.