ABSTRACT
Disruptions in normal eating habits have a long and even celebrated history. The Egyptians endured long periods of fasting, often in “sleep temples.” The Romans had vomitoriums, places to purge themselves in order to accommodate their gluttonous feasting. Christ fasted for 40 days in the desert for a “spiritual cleansing” of sorts, and many early Christian martyrs engaged in fasting for similar reasons. Gandhi changed the political structure of his country by fasting, using his refusal of food as a means of reining in extremists and building a consensus.
