The applied approach to anthropological study involves study of global health, clinical studies, government, and industry from an anthropological perspective. Globalization is certainly influencing the spread and treatment of this illness in the United States. As advertisements showing impossibly thing photoshopped models are shown in the US, other countries are encouraged to do the same in order to sell their product in the US, only further influencing individuals into thinking that these impossibly perfect people are the “ideal” person and this type of thinking can lead to low self esteem which can in turn, if severe enough, lead to troubling behavior like purging after meals. As treatment for these disorders is more widely accepted and the diseases themselves are more fully understood, individuals suffering from bulimia are able to get better treatment. There are many inpatient treatment centers, such as Timberline Knolls, across the country that specializes in eating disorder treatment, including treatment of bulimia nervosa. Many anthropological methods can help better treat and understand this illness. By understanding the cultural approach to anthropology and understanding how culture affects how individuals experience different diseases based on their cultural practices can allow medical providers to better treat their patients suffering from these diseases. Understanding how different aspects of disease, such as how the illness affects the person through use of narratives, affects individuals based on their cultural practices can lead to a better understanding on the part of the medical provider of what kind of treatment they need to provide to best help their patient. Some individuals, based on their culture and practices, benefit most from the intervention of faith healers and prayer while others may need pharmaceutical treatment or other biomedical forms of therapy. Narratives can be very effective in helping medical providers understand what exactly their patient is feeling, not only physically but also mentally. Many patients experience illness differently and while some may be positive and view the illness as an obstacle they can overcome, others may feel defeated by their disease and may need not only pharmaceutical treatment, but also other types of therapy to help encourage them to keep battling their illness and surviving. Also, depending on the illness, individuals’ narratives may be vastly different based on their prognosis. While some may be able to be treated and their narrative may be a positive one, others may have a devastating prognosis and by understanding how an individual is affected by this prognosis through a narrative, the medical provider can better understand how to treat their patient.