Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are eating disorders that severely affect both men and women around the world. The cause of the eating disorder usually stems from psychological, biological, and social forces. Eating disorders have become an epidemic in American society, twenty-four million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the United States (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders., 2011). There are many ways to approach and treat an eating disorder. Numerous studies have been conducted to test the effectiveness of different types of treatment. My central research question analyzes the relationship between the continuation of the eating disorder and the presence of an intervention or some form of therapy. Therapy use will occur as a dependent variable due to its relationship to eating disorder resolution. There are social processes involved in terminating an eating disorder or alleviating the symptoms of the disorder, as shown through group therapy (Mclorb & Taub, 1987). I will review several sociological literature that addresses the relationship between the persistence of eating disorders and the presence of treatment. In Mclorb and Taub's (1987) observational case study, they interviewed participants in a group therapy session involving a group of fifteen young women battling a variety of eating disorders. The therapy sessions were modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Subjects met weekly for support, this was a form of therapy that allowed subjects to engage or withdraw at any time. The main aim was to seek a sense of support from people facing the same problem. We discuss...... half article...... IL: National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Retrieved November 30, 2011 (http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/).6) Yager, Joel, Michael J. Devlin, Katherine A.Halmi, David B. Herzong, James E. Mitchell III, Pauline Powers, Kathryn J. Zerbe. (2006) Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with Eating Disorders, Third Edition Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association. (http://www.karwautz.at/documents/apaedsguideline2006.pdf). Original citation found in Bosch, Amanda, Raymond Miltenberger, Amy Gross, Peter Knudson, and Carrie Breitwieser. 2008. “Evaluating Extinction as a Functional Treatment for Binge Eating.” Behavior Change 32(4):556-576 (http://exlibris.colgate.edu/Mondo/remote-or-local-url.asp?http://search.proquest.com/docview/811355510?accountid=10207).