ABSTRACT
Early conceptions of eating disorders evolved principally from the psychoanalytic perspective and asserted that eating disorders served as a means to avoid sexual intimacy and maturity (e.g., Blitzer et al. 1961; Crisp 1965). This notion continued into the early to mid-twentieth century literature, whereby eating disorders were thought of as a way for women to avoid sexual activity (e.g., Bruch 1978; Crisp 1965). Waller et al. (1940) reported that sexual urges, including masturbation, caused extreme guilt and anxiety in individuals with anorexia. Similarly, in an early case report, Janet (as cited in Russell 1997) described a young woman who, disgusted by her pubescent body, developed bulimia in an effort to maintain sexual modesty (she viewed curves as sexually provocative and sought to decrease the curvaceousness of her body). From this perspective, eating disorders allow individuals to avoid the physiological changes associated with sexual maturation and engagement in
10.1 Learning Objectives.............................................................................................................. 181 10.2 Background and Signicance ............................................................................................... 181 10.3 Current Findings ................................................................................................................... 182
10.3.1 Sexual Maturity ........................................................................................................ 182 10.3.1.1 Timing of Puberty ...................................................................................... 182 10.3.1.2 Sex Hormones and Physiological Changes ................................................ 183 10.3.1.3 Emotional Maturity .................................................................................... 183
10.3.2 Patterns of Sexual Experiences ................................................................................ 184 10.3.3 Intimacy .................................................................................................................... 185 10.3.4 Sexual Attractiveness Standards ............................................................................... 185 10.3.5 Unwanted Sexual Experiences.................................................................................. 186 10.3.6 Sexual Orientation .................................................................................................... 186 10.3.7 Summary of Research Background .......................................................................... 187
10.4 Practical Applications ........................................................................................................... 188 10.5 Case Study ............................................................................................................................ 190 References ...................................................................................................................................... 191
sexual relations (e.g., Bruch 1978; Crisp 1997). That is, the physiological effects of eating disorders (e.g., amenorrhea, extreme emaciation) were interpreted as a rejection of puberty itself (Bruch 1978; Crisp 1965, 1997).
