There are approximately 100 000 individuals in Sweden who suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. The course of these disorders is often prolonged and can lead to enduring disability for many years. Some patients require lengthy periods of inpatient care, and relapse after discharge is common. Unfortunately, there is still little evidence concerning the optimal model of inpatient care for patients suffering from a severe and enduring eating disorder (SE-ED) and unlike psychiatry in general, the hospitalization rate for SE-ED patients has not been markedly reduced in the past decades.