Minimizing and treating chronicity in the eating disorders: a clinical overview.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to review the available literature regarding treatment and management of eating disorder patients who fail to change over protracted periods of time.

Method: Literature was reviewed pertaining to approaches to promoting change in treatment-resistant cases and the treatment of chronic eating disordered individuals.

Results: Although there are a number of clinical perspectives on the treatment of chronic eating disorder patients, fundamental studies defining the concept of "chronicity" and standardized treatment approaches do not exist.