ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 focuses upon the female body as mediated by society. Here, the role played by contemporary society in the development of anorexia in women is unpacked. The central aim of this chapter is to examine and contextualize current understandings of anorexia through an investigation of psychological, sociological and anthropological responses to this expression. Anorexia as a response to society’s control and manipulation of the female form is broached as the argument that women are increasingly influenced by the culturally motivated desire to embody the slender ideal. Points of discussion include: the female body in contemporary society; the beauty industry; neurosexism; female stereotypes; the sexualization of childhood; and the tensions of consumer culture. Here, we see that anorexia is a powerful symbol of female discomfort which has a complex aetiology that is heavily influenced by the values of the environments in which we live.
