Eating disorders in the 21st century: A moving target

Abstract: Eating disorders are a category of mental disorder that has undergone tremendous change since British physician Richard Morton first described symptoms of anorexia nervosa in 1689. Our understanding of eating disorders, including what they are, who they affect, and how to treat them, continues to change in response to social and cultural changes that value different types of bodies for different types of people. Examples include i) muscle dysmorphia, a potential eating disorder akin to “reverse anorexia”, which reflects an increasing societal and cultural value placed on muscularity for boys and men, and ii) orthorexia nervosa, a potential eating disorder that reflects an increasing societal and cultural value placed on “righteous” eating, including clean, organic, ‘good’ foods that are free of toxins, chemicals, and other ‘undesirables’. The talk will grapple with the difficulties of identifying and diagnosing eating disorders in the 21st century, including problems with the label ‘eating disorders’ itself. A programme of research on body image and eating disorders, including preliminary results from studies of individuals with body image concerns, eating disorders, and individuals who use anabolic steroids, will be presented.

Speaker: Dr Scott Griffiths