This book is rather different from most written on eating disorders. Its sole purpose is to provide assistance to health professionals in the understanding, treatment, and management of patients with eating disorders, particularly that part of their treatment that is best described as medical. It is concerned primarily with anorexia nervosa (AN), as this is the member of this group of illnesses that has the most serious medical manifestations, the greatest and longest lasting physical morbidity, and the highest mortality rate. However, relevant issues relating to the other eating or dieting disorders but not obesity, are also discussed.

The intended audience is predominantly medical practitioners, psychiatrists, physicians, pediatricians, and general practitioners — as one of them should always be responsible for the physical health of the eating disorder patient. It is envisaged that this book will also be helpful to other health professionals involved with these patients, particularly nurses, dietitians, and psychologists. The authors intend to produce another book on the same theme but aimed at patients, their families, and carers as well as other stakeholders such as schoolteachers and counselors.

This book is written partly as a reference textbook and partly as a manual for consultation. We suggest that the reader studies Chapters 1–5, leaving the other chapters until the need arises or in order to satisfy that most persistent of intellectual urges, their curiosity.