Sir, – I write to express my appreciation for your recent article highlighting the experiences of individuals living with longstanding eating disorders. Bringing national attention to this often overlooked group is a vital public service.I strongly echo the insight provided by Harriet Parsons of Bodywhys regarding how recovery must be understood for those who have lived with an eating disorder for a significant portion of their adult life. For this group, recovery is rarely a simple process, nor does it always mean complete symptom resolution. Instead, recovery spans a broad continuum – ranging from full clinical recovery for some, to learning to manage symptoms and achieve an improved quality of life alongside a chronic illness for others.While recovery from a longstanding eating disorder is a complex and often lengthy journey, it remains a profoundly worthwhile endeavour. Individuals living with longstanding eating disorders deserve dedicated clinical support and evidence-based treatment. This is particularly critical given that many developed their illness at a time when specialist services were not available to them in Ireland.Although our national services are still developing, there is a firm commitment within the HSE to improve specialist capacity and provide multidisciplinary care to all individuals affected by these conditions.Finally, for anyone experiencing the early stages of an eating disorder, I strongly urge early action. Timely, specialist intervention is the most effective factor in preventing the development of a long-term condition. Anyone concerned should seek an immediate referral from their GP to specialist eating disorder services. – Yours, etc,Dr ART MALONE,Consultant psychiatrist and HSE national lead for eating disorders,Mount Carmel Campus,Dublin 14.