Holy anorexia

I thought that this week's readings were particularly interesting because I never thought of anorexia as a means for people to "take control" of their lives. It's always been associated with psychological disorders, but the reasons those disorders occur are never really considered. In "Holy Anorexia" the author discusses that mostly women give up eating as a method of control.

ANother point I thought was interesting is that they relate anorexia nervosa back to only women and attribute their eating habits to hysteria and genital disease. Once again. the idea that women's sexuality is the root of their problems and societal problems is revisited.

I found a video of a woman who is recovering from anorexia, and she claims that her disease began when she was 13 because she thought that her weight was a burden on her mother. This speaks to the idea that family and environment can contribute to the way one views themselves. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKUSGOB-0V8