My perspective shifted during a consultation with a young woman who was physically recovering from restrictive eating but still carried an intense fear of food. What stood out was how her struggle was not about food itself, but about control and self-worth. She described how eating felt like "losing control," even when her body was starving. That moment made me realize that addressing eating disorders requires more than nutritional guidance or medical monitoring. Healing demands understanding the emotional and psychological roots, such as anxiety, trauma, or perfectionism, and creating space where the person feels safe to rebuild trust with themselves. The insight I carry forward is that recovery is less about prescribing a plan and more about fostering compassion, patience, and small wins that restore dignity. For others supporting someone with an eating disorder, recognizing the underlying need for control and safety can change how you offer help.
Around mid 2000's I got interested in eating disorders and saw a lot of documentaries and read a lot of stories of survivors. I was an 18 years old med school student back then and I understood that having an eating disorder is part of a complex mental health issue and that is not as easy as "making an effort". Right now, as a surgical oncologist some of my patients develop some kind of eating disorders because of depression and with all I learned at that time I can be more empathetic and I can help them to some extent always with the support of the psycho-oncologist and the nutritionist.