This volume investigates the multifaceted origins of bulimia nervosa by examining the intersection of individual psychological factors and familial dynamics. The editors, drawing from the proceedings of the Second Annual Kent Psychology Forum, compile research from leading clinicians and scholars to construct a comprehensive framework for understanding the development of eating disorders. By synthesizing clinical observations and empirical data, the text argues that bulimia cannot be treated in isolation from the patient's immediate social and domestic environment.

Experts recognize this work as a significant historical record of early 1990s clinical thought regarding eating disorder etiology. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational reference for students and practitioners interested in the evolution of family-based psychological models.