Eating disorders among women: An historical review of the literature from a women's history perspective

Within a relatively brief period of time, there has been a veritable outpouring of research on anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. This article presents a concise overview of some of the major works on these eating disorders from a variety of disciplines including biomedicine, psychology, sociology, and history. The article establishes a general context of Americans' preoccupation with food and diet. However, since the majority of those suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are female, this article places these eating disorders in the specific historical context of American women's history. In earlier times, some women reacted to their role expectations with physical responses. While linking modern phenomena to these earlier physical reactions of American women, the article also highlights the various twentieth-century social and cultural factors that push some modern girls and women to respond to their situations either by refusing food or consuming and regurgitating large quantities of food. In addition to the historical perspective, which points to the relevance of social and cultural factors as well as biomedical and psychological ones, the article offers an overview of the various theories currently suggested to explain the meaning of food to those who suffer from these disorders. These theories range from the addiction model to food as a metaphor for control and self-definition. Whatever the meaning of food, it is important to note that both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are determined by an interaction of many factors both personal and biological and social and cultural. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1990