ABSTRACT
Eating disorders have been classically perceived as Western culture-bound syndromes associated with culture-driven factors, such as unrealistic expectations of slenderness and attractiveness. The treatment of eating disorders in Arab culture is similar in principle to treatment of eating disorders in Western cultures. Treatment of eating disorders is mainly psychological, with individual and family work. The concept that eating disorders are a Western culture-bound syndrome is not valid any longer. Studies from the Arab world indicate that eating disorders exist within this culture, have a similar prevalence and run a similar natural course to those in Western cultures. However, eating disorders appear to be poorly recognized and under-diagnosed in the Arab world. Yet emerging evidence indicates that eating disorders are not uncommon in Arab countries, and that the numbers of individuals with abnormal eating attitudes and eating disorders may approximate international rates.
