This marks the beginning of a six-part series centered around the proposed diagnosis of "Terminal Anorexia Nervosa." In this inaugural episode, I talk with Dr. Joel Yager, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Yager, alongside co-authors Dr. Jennifer Guadiani and Alyssa Bogetz, an individual with Anorexia Nervosa who passed away before the article's publication, proposed the criteria for “Terminal Anorexia Nervosa” in the paper linked below.

With decades of experience in the eating disorder field, Dr. Yager served as the Director of the Eating Disorders Clinic at UCLA from 1981 to 1988. His contributions have earned him numerous awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Eating Disorders Association, the Special Presidential Commendation, and the Distinguished Service Award from the American Psychiatric Association, along with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Psychiatric Society.

Drawing from his extensive expertise, Dr. Yager articulates why he believes it is crucial for the field to grapple with and refine the proposed diagnosis of "Terminal Anorexia Nervosa." This proposal has ignited a robust conversation and debate among a diverse range of stakeholders. In the upcoming episodes, we will hear perspectives from American and European colleagues, a biomedical ethicist, and individuals with lived experiences - all sharing their varied views on this highly controversial topic.

In this episode we hear from Dr. Bryn Austin, award-winning researcher, teacher, and mentor and Founding Director of the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders: A Public Health Incubator (STRIPED). Dr. Austin is Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In this episode, she urges all of us in the field to think about risk for eating disorders from a public health and social justice perspective. She has documented that the economic cost of eating disorders is close to 65 billion USD annually - on par with severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia. She has also led research that demonstrates that prevention interventions are cost-effective. She urges scientists to get involved with policy and democracy – to engage with the world to change the world. Specifically, she makes the case that we need to pursue policy strategies to combat toxic environmental factors like social media, weight discrimination, and predatory products (like diet pills) to raise awareness and make systems changes that reduce the risk for eating disorders at a population level. After listening to Dr. Austin, your understanding of eating disorders risk and prevention will be forever transformed.

Today's episode of Big Ideas in Eating Disorders is part of a special series delving into the proposed diagnosis of "Terminal Anorexia Nervosa." I am honored to have Dr. Eric van Furth, a clinical psychologist and Professor of Eating Disorders in the Department of Psychiatry at Leiden University Medical Center, as our guest. With decades of experience in the eating disorder field, Dr. van Furth has received numerous awards and accolades, including a Leadership Award from the Academy for Eating Disorders and the Project HEAL Clinician of the Year Award.