The statement is that patients with terminal anorexia nervosa deserve the same attendant care and rights as all other patients with terminal illness. The article studies three cases to elucidate this condition then proposes clinical characteristics for a terminal eating disorder: diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, older age (over 30), previous participation in high quality care, and clear and consistent determination by a patient who possesses decision-making capacity. What doors will be opened if “terminal” is redefined?
The bioethics writer Wesley J. Smith argues in the National Review “When psychiatrists give up on their mentally ill patients — and indeed, are allowed to help them commit suicide — who will defend the value and continued importance of their lives?”.