ABSTRACT
Some of us will remember Gus Goose,1 one of Walt Disney’s characters, cousin of Donald Duck and grandnephew of Grandma Duck. He lives with Grandma Duck, and is supposed to help her out with the farm. But it is extremely hard to distract Gus Goose from his own favorite activities: eating and sleeping. Gus Goose is the fictional representation of gluttony and laziness. He is probably one of the most famously addicted characters of the history of cartoons: addicted to food and sleep. Gus Goose can be regarded the worst nightmare of eating disorders sufferers – he is what they do not want to become. Those with bulimia, in particular, might recognize themselves in Gus Goose, incapable of resisting food and able to ingest enormous amounts . . . but while Gus Goose is perfectly happy with food, and with his rounded bottom half, bulimics feel miserable if they overeat, and are very unhappy with the way they look, even if they are not fat.
