The Feminist & Religious Perspectives of Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

The current review interrogates the relationship between feminism, religion, and anorexia nervosa from an anthropological perspective. The scope of the paper was focused on Western countries due to anorexia's higher prevalence in these areas, as well as the numerous primary and secondary accounts of women with anorectic symptoms across historical timeframes. Previous work highlights that both modern and historical accounts of anorexia often revolve around a central theme of religion and feminism. For centuries, women were influenced by Christianity to practice self-control on their bodies to bring them closer to God. This is reflected in the modern-day as pro-anorexia websites often focus on similar messages of purity and religious devotion through the worship of a god-inspired figure called "Ana," who exists as the physical embodiment of the disorder. Further, women utilized their disordered eating throughout history to improve their status in society with some even becoming saints and gaining other high-ranking positions in the church; however, these efforts came at a great personal cost. Again, this is mirrored today as participants in pro-anorexia websites engage in similar behaviors to gain a sense of control over their own bodies in a society with restrictive social norms and beauty standards.