Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa

Fasting Girls traces the history of self-starvation and eating disorders from medieval Europe through modern times. The book examines how cultural and medical understandings of food refusal by young women have evolved over centuries. Through extensive research and historical documentation, Brumberg analyzes cases of "fasting girls" - young women who claimed to survive without eating - and shows how these phenomena were interpreted differently across eras. The text moves from religious explanations of fasting saints to Victorian medical cases and eventually to the modern medical diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. The author explores parallel developments in medicine, religion, gender roles, and popular culture that shaped society's response to self-starvation. The narrative incorporates primary sources including medical records, media accounts, and personal documents to reconstruct these historical cases. This social history reveals how definitions of female mind and body have shifted over time, while core issues of control, power, and female identity remain central to understanding eating disorders. The work connects past to present by tracing the origins of current medical and cultural approaches to anorexia.

Readers commend the thorough historical research and medical context, noting how the book traces anorexia's evolution from a religious phenomenon to a modern psychological condition. Many appreciate the academic rigor while maintaining readability for non-specialists. Readers praise: - Clear explanations of how cultural attitudes toward food and body image changed over time - Inclusion of primary sources and case studies - Discussion of class and gender dynamics Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style in certain sections - Limited coverage of modern treatments and therapies - Focus primarily on white, middle/upper-class women Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (50+ reviews) Sample reader comment: "An eye-opening look at how society has shaped eating disorders, though at times the academic tone makes it less accessible than it could be." - Goodreads reviewer The book receives particular recognition from students and researchers in women's studies, psychology, and medical history.

The Body Project by Joan Jacobs Brumberg This cultural history traces how adolescent girls' relationships with their bodies changed from the Victorian era through the twentieth century, connecting eating disorders to broader social transformations.

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Holy Anorexia by Rudolph Bell This historical analysis explores medieval Catholic saints who practiced extreme fasting, drawing connections between religious devotion and modern eating disorders.

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🌟 Although anorexia nervosa wasn't officially named until 1873, Brumberg traces cases of self-starvation back to medieval times when it was often associated with religious devotion and sainthood. 🌟 The author, Joan Jacobs Brumberg, is a Cornell University professor who won the Bancroft Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in American historical writing, for this groundbreaking book. 🌟 During the Victorian era, "fasting girls" became media sensations and public spectacles, with some charging admission to visitors who wanted to witness their supposed ability to live without food. 🌟 The book reveals how the ideal female body type has shifted dramatically—in the 1920s, doctors actually prescribed diets to help women gain weight to achieve the fashionable "Gibson Girl" figure. 🌟 Before modern medical understanding, some doctors believed anorexia was caused by a diseased uterus and prescribed forced feeding through tubes as the primary treatment method.