Introduction

Abstract

Eating disorders are one of the most common forms of mental health problem and are associated with increased risk to life. Over the last 30 years they have become more finely differentiated so that nowadays we talk of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating, sub-acute eating disorders, eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) or may refer to obesity and self-starvation. We no longer believe anorexics are not hungry or that they are only ever young, white, middle-class females. Indeed, we are very well informed about eating disorders: our magazines and newspapers are full of information about the dangers of eating disorders and fascinated by the body-size of celebrities and the diets to which they subscribe. Obesity has become a major priority for governments across the world and according to the World Health Organisation is ‘the single biggest European public health challenge of the 21st century’ (Wallop, 2003) and may necessitate taxing fatty and sugary foods. Diets are big business, the fast food industry even bigger, and increasingly, so is litigation. Obese people have begun to sue food companies and retailers such as McDonalds for apparently making them obese. Eating disorders bring together the private and the public in a very profitable way. And furthermore, we all know what it feels like to question whether or not we are eating ‘properly’ or look ‘right’.