ABSTRACT
The manipulation of the size of the body by deliberately limiting food intake (or, indeed, by overeating) has probably been practised by certain sections of every civilized society. The mind/soul can achieve perfection only if the body can be subdued and overcome. The body is felt to be an enemy of the soul, which it attempts to keep trapped in sinful imperfection. In a medieval world, where views about the dualistic nature of humankind were largely shared, the ascetic practices of the saints certainly seemed extreme, but they did not seem necessarily mad. Self-starvation (and other eating disorders) first became identified and categorized as forms of mental illness in the closing decades of the nineteenth century. Unsurprisingly, the analysts with the most contribution to make to the study and treatment of eating disorders have been those with strong links to inpatient settings.
