Given these factors, it seems logical to think about how to prevent the development of eating disorders in the first place. Traditionally this has seen the epidemiology of eating disorders investigated and risk or contributory factors determined. These factors are then targeted by strategies aiming to prevent cases of eating disorders developing, or worsening. From these two contrasting descriptions, it is apparent that the differences between the prevention approach and the health promotion approach lie fundamentally in the way that good health and well being are viewed. To tease out this distinction between these two different perspectives, an economic analogy can be used, whereby the place and role of money in society is examined.
Money is a resource that allows people to get on with living.
It is not, for most people, the ultimate object of living. There are many strategies and methods for procuring money including working for money, receipt of social security, inheritance, winning gold lotto, etc. There are also a range of options for keeping that money secure and accessible, including deposits in financial institutions, a household safe, or under the mattress. Then there are a range of strategies for making that money grow - investment portfolios, buying a house, superannuation, and so on. Irrespective of the individual choices one makes, for most people, the primary reason for procuring, securing and growing their money is so that they have the financial capacity to do the things in life they need and want to do.