This study investigated eating-disordered patients’ attraction to life & death using Orbach’s model. 32 anorexic & 37 bulimic patients were matched to 37 normal controls. Eating disordered patients were found to be less attracted to & more repulsed by life than normal controls. Patients with a higher tendency to ignore their needs & serve others had higher tendencies to be attracted to death & to be less attracted to life. These patients, rather than dwelling on death, reject life. Theoretically, the findings support differentiation of death preoccupation to several components. (25 refs.)