Re: good post...questions...

Let me try to break this down for myself:

Your take is that people who begin fasting and end up having an eating disorder typically had that eating disorder (or at least traces of it) to start with. Fasting does not lead to an eating disorder in itself, but those who have the beginnings of an eating disorder and begin fasting can very well end up with one because they are doing it for the wrong reasons. Right?

Because I agree that it's more about the mindset rather than the actions taken. I suppose if you have a warped mindset, even if you completely convince yourself that you're fasting for the right reasons, and you try to fast before that mindset is resolves, it's almost always going to take on an ED spin to it.

My concern is how people differentiate. Anyone who starts fasting here could have the wrong mindset. How do they actually know until they start fasting? Many describe the need to fast as involuntary...that there body is MAKING them do it. By the time they know they're doing it for the wrong reasons, they could already be deep in obsession. I mean, do you disagree that people can become unhealthily obsessed with fasting? (it seems to be usually ones that don't do it right) Doesn't that concern you at all? That it could take them down a very slippery slope? That they might not be genuine in their idea that they wish to do it for spiritual or health reasons?