Eating Disorders: Control Issue?

I've been thinking about this for some time now and wanted to think "out loud" this time. The cliche answer as to why people have eating disorders and/or can't let them go is based on control. They say that when people's lives are in a downward spiral and they need something that they can grab a hold of like an emotional security blanket, something they can direct and move around the way they want, that's when eating disorder flourish. But I think it goes deeper than that. I think control is the most basic symptom that's hidden beneath the layers. It's the first brick of this soul-sucking house but it's not the foundation. Ever since patient x confided that she makes herself throw up or doesn't eat because she needs to feel like she's in control of her life, the medical community has hung their hats on that. They've made case after case backing this theory up and making it seem like people are just hyper type A and want to be in full control of their lives at all times. There's truth in this but what's the underlying cause of this symptom even?

Self-worth.

It's not about the control or the food or the weight or the exercise. It's about how they ultimately feel about themselves and the subsequent inherent value that they have. They don't feel worthy to take up space. They don't feel worthy to fully own the bodies that they live in. They don't feel worthy to embody the full range of emotions that make up the human experience. When your self-worth is in a negative range, you start reaching out into the darkness of life seeking to control all of the things that remind you that you deserve better than your current circumstances. You start strangling the happiness around you. You start embodying the darkness. You begin to accept that the space you take up is too large and impactful - and it hurts. People shouldn't notice you the way that they do and you begin to shrink yourself. This is where the control comes in. 

It's almost accidental the way the control becomes a master. It starts slowly and feeds on the negative thoughts and energy emanating from their being/spirit. It grows into this beast that they can't control - no pun intended. As they shrink from the greatness of their identity, it starts to kill their birthright. By the time, they are actually able to see it, it's too late. The monster has grown and destroyed their perception of life. They can no longer handle this thing they've created to solve their temporary problems. The security blanket is now smothering them. 

So how do we fix this? 
1. Remind people of who they are. Show them they are created in the image of God - even if they don't believe in Him.
2. Give them permission to have pride in themselves. Remind them of their gifts/talents and give them permission to feel pride in those things without judgement. 
3. Protect them. They need a safe place to experience their full range of emotions. It's not enough to show them they are good enough - they need to be able to feel that fully as they get back on their feet emotionally. They will feel like they are being conceited and beat themselves up for beginning to love themselves. Each step forward will be accompanied by shame and self-defeat.
4. Be an advocate. Throughout their illness, they've had people confront them about their self-destruction in ways they found to be accusatory. Encourage them in their recovery. When they fall back or slip up your tones and ear need to be judgement-free. Again, you need to be a safe place for them. Don't bring up past hurts. Don't tell them they'll never get over it. They need hope and peace - not betrayal.

There are so many other things that we should be doing. This list is not an end all, be all...it's a start. What are some other ways that we can help those with eating disorders recover?