ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we use the term eating disorder to refer to the conditions of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. In both disorders there are concerns about food, body shape and weight. Until recently both were largely confined to societies in the western world, in which thinness for women is considered attractive. They appear with greater frequency in all-female environments, such as boarding schools and in particular occupational groups, such as models and dancers, in which thinness is valued. However, there is now evidence that the eating disorders are becoming more common in developing countries. The reason for this is not known, but it may be related to the establishment of ‘western’ ideas of attractiveness in these cultures.
