Feminist Perspectives on Eating Disorders

This book contains black-and-white illustrations.

This important work illuminates the relationship between the anguish of eating disorder sufferers and the problems of ordinary women. It covers a wide variety of issues from ways in which gender may predispose women to eating disorders to the widespread cultural concerns these problems symbolize. Chapters all share three basic elements: The psychology of women is reflected in the concepts and methods described; there is an explicit commitment to political and social equality for women; and therapy is reevaluated based on an understanding of the needs of women patients and the potentially differing contributions of male and female therapists.

John D. Mead

This is an anthology of feminist writings about the nature and treatment of eating disorders, the first of its kind to the best of my knowledge. It is organized into five broadly defined sections on historical trends, gender issues, body image, treatment, and prevention. The intent is to assemble in one volume the body of knowledge that describes the contextual or sociocultural nature of this gender-related disorder. In selecting material, the authors disclaim a unified "feminist model" but include pieces that reflect the common principles of the psychology of women, a commitment to equality of women, and a reevaluation of therapy based on gender-specific issues. The primary audiences are mental health professionals, students, patients, and others interested in the psychology of women and the feminist movement. Women's studies programs would find this useful reading. The authors are well recognized in the fields of eating disorders and feminist issues. Contributors range from those relatively unknown to those extensively published in the scientific and popular press. Individual writings vary from original pieces to summarizations of previous work. Irrespective of one's political or personal views regarding the feminist movement, its enormous impact on the field of eating disorders must be acknowledged. It has become arguably the most comprehensive theoretical model for understanding the etiology, epidemiology, and phenomenology of the disorder. Nearly an entire new generation of female therapists (even those not identifying as feminists) now look to this perspective for guidance in conducting clinical work and shaping new directions in the field. The fact that this book so masterfullyarticulates this sociocultural perspective warrants a strong endorsement. Shortcomings of the model (the fact that much of it remains untestable or that it fails to fully explain the gender mystery) do not detract from the significance of this work.

Patricia Fallon, Ph.D., is a psychologist in private practice and a clinical faculty member, University of Washington, Seattle. She serves on the editorial board of Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention and speaks frequently at conferences on feminist theory and treatment of eating disorders. She is co-author of Bulimia: A Systems Approach to Treatment and author of articles in the areas of eating disorders, family therapy, and abuse.

Melanie A. Katzman, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in private practice in New York City and serves on the faculty of New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. She is on the editorial board of Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention and lectures frequently to national audiences. The author of articles and book chapters on eating disorders, women's issues, and group therapy, she is the co-author of two books, Treating Bulimia: Psycho-Educational Approach and You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It Too.

Susan C. Wooley, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology and Co-founder and Co-Director of the Eating Disorders Clinic in the Psychiatry Department, University of Cincinnati Medical College. Widely published in the fields of obesity, eating disorders, and body image, she is especially noted for her feminist orientation to these topics. A consulting editor to a number of journals, who serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Eating Disorders and Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, she is a frequent presenter at national conferences and is currently nearing completion of her own book, Screaming in a Different Language.