A survey is given of the contribution of the behavioral approach to the treatment of anorexia nervosa on the basis of the literature. Normalization of 'food-intake' is the first aim of the behavioral treatment. The operant conditioning principle is used in almost every behavioral treatment. How an operant conditioning program could be made is next given in a detailed practical description. This method seems to produce results in the sense of weight gain in nearly all the cases. It is questionable wether this result is a permanent one. Operant conditioning is claimed to be a necessary but no sufficient condition for treatment of anorexia nervosa. What could be done next to operant conditioning is indicated as to change the interaction with the environment and to learn social skills. Finally in relation to research in the future some suggestions are given.