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fasting and anorexia through the ages: a historical thread
161 BC: Size Zero Wannabes
- roman republic becomes obsessed with slimness and scorns obesity
- comic play by North African poet Terence depicts and mocks these cultural pressures to conform to beauty standards
- roman republic becomes obsessed with slimness and scorns obesity
- comic play by North African poet Terence depicts and mocks these cultural pressures to conform to beauty standards
Second Century: No Appetite
- roman philosopher/physician Galen of Pergamon records observations of “anorektous”, people who refuse foods
- he also knows local secrets for staying slim and has tonic and tinctures to use as diuretics and emetics.
- first ana coach god bless
- roman philosopher/physician Galen of Pergamon records observations of “anorektous”, people who refuse foods
- he also knows local secrets for staying slim and has tonic and tinctures to use as diuretics and emetics.
- first ana coach god bless
(1/2)
13th, 14th, and 15th centuries: Holy Anorexia!
- Catholic saints of the Middle Ages feed on next to nothing as they devote themselves in service of God
- examples include Margaret of Cortuna, Angela of Foligno, Catherine of Siena, Columba of Reiti
13th, 14th, and 15th centuries: Holy Anorexia!
- Catholic saints of the Middle Ages feed on next to nothing as they devote themselves in service of God
- examples include Margaret of Cortuna, Angela of Foligno, Catherine of Siena, Columba of Reiti
(2/2)
- society believes it’s a miracle to be freed from the neccesity of eating
- term ‘anorexia mirabilis’, meaning a “miraculous loss of appetite, divinely inspired”
- society is very pro ana
- cultural expectations -> ideas of femininity that favoured the pale & lightweight
- society believes it’s a miracle to be freed from the neccesity of eating
- term ‘anorexia mirabilis’, meaning a “miraculous loss of appetite, divinely inspired”
- society is very pro ana
- cultural expectations -> ideas of femininity that favoured the pale & lightweight
(1/2)
1589: Fasting Girl of Schmidweiler (Holland)
- Katerin Cooper is taken with a “shaking” and loses “all pleasure af appetite to warm meats for 5 years”
- after a doctor fails to help her, she begins to only suck the juices from apples and pears
1589: Fasting Girl of Schmidweiler (Holland)
- Katerin Cooper is taken with a “shaking” and loses “all pleasure af appetite to warm meats for 5 years”
- after a doctor fails to help her, she begins to only suck the juices from apples and pears
(2/2)
- after six months, all she consumes is water and aqua vita as a mouthwash
- according to the account, she lived for nine years without drinking eating or sleeping
- ana queen
- after six months, all she consumes is water and aqua vita as a mouthwash
- according to the account, she lived for nine years without drinking eating or sleeping
- ana queen
(1/2)
1594: The Fasting Maiden of Meurs (Belgium)
- Eve Fleigen is poverty stricken, and prays to god to deliver her from intense hunger pangs
- it works, and according to the tale, she simply “din’d on a rise and supt on a tulip” for fifteen years
1594: The Fasting Maiden of Meurs (Belgium)
- Eve Fleigen is poverty stricken, and prays to god to deliver her from intense hunger pangs
- it works, and according to the tale, she simply “din’d on a rise and supt on a tulip” for fifteen years
(2/2)
- weak and pale, she complains neither of thirst nor hunger
- her fame spreads far and wide, and magistrates, ministers and noblemen devise tests to trick her into eating, which only sicken her
- first anorexic celebrity
- weak and pale, she complains neither of thirst nor hunger
- her fame spreads far and wide, and magistrates, ministers and noblemen devise tests to trick her into eating, which only sicken her
- first anorexic celebrity
(1/2)
1603: Fasting Girl of Confolens (France)
- fever struck Jane Balen, 11, refuses all food and drink for almost three years
- the emaciated fourteen year old attracts the attention of the king’s physician, Jacob Viverius, who monitors her case & checks for signs of deceit
1603: Fasting Girl of Confolens (France)
- fever struck Jane Balen, 11, refuses all food and drink for almost three years
- the emaciated fourteen year old attracts the attention of the king’s physician, Jacob Viverius, who monitors her case & checks for signs of deceit
(2/2)
- “her belly was so flat, the passages were shut, no entrance there was found... her privy parts were clean, thence nothing fell to ground”
- “her belly was so flat, the passages were shut, no entrance there was found... her privy parts were clean, thence nothing fell to ground”
1668: The Derbyshire Damsel (Britain)
- Martha Taylor, 18, is “the picture of death” after a year and a week of fasting
- she is said to have taken nothing but a few drops of prune juice
- she is hailed to be a “perfect and true revelation of the handiwork of Almighty God”
- Martha Taylor, 18, is “the picture of death” after a year and a week of fasting
- she is said to have taken nothing but a few drops of prune juice
- she is hailed to be a “perfect and true revelation of the handiwork of Almighty God”
(1/2)
1684-1694: Wasting Disease
- Eighteen year old daughter of “Mr Duke in S Mary Axe” is examined by an MD, and described to be “like a skeleton only clad in skin”
- she has loss of appetite, bad digestion, emaciation, and a pale look
1684-1694: Wasting Disease
- Eighteen year old daughter of “Mr Duke in S Mary Axe” is examined by an MD, and described to be “like a skeleton only clad in skin”
- she has loss of appetite, bad digestion, emaciation, and a pale look
(2/2)
- suffers from “a total suppression of her month courses from a multitude of cares and passions of the mind” (no period)
- she relapsed after treatment and dies within three months
- suffers from “a total suppression of her month courses from a multitude of cares and passions of the mind” (no period)
- she relapsed after treatment and dies within three months
1694: First Male Patient
- 16 year old “son of the Reverend Minister Steele” begins fasting compulsively
- becomes increasingly obsessed with his studies
- after taking a break from work, he recoveres his health somewhat but “is not yet perfectly freed from a consumptive state”
- 16 year old “son of the Reverend Minister Steele” begins fasting compulsively
- becomes increasingly obsessed with his studies
- after taking a break from work, he recoveres his health somewhat but “is not yet perfectly freed from a consumptive state”
(1/2)
1813: Fasting Scandal (England)
- Ann Moore insists she has been living without food, save for a few black currants, since 1807
- agreed to be put under round the clock watch, but within nine days she is near death
1813: Fasting Scandal (England)
- Ann Moore insists she has been living without food, save for a few black currants, since 1807
- agreed to be put under round the clock watch, but within nine days she is near death
(2/2)
- her daughter confesses to have fed her by transferring food morsels by mouth and bathing her in milk and gravy
- Ann is disgraced and reduced to begging
- her daughter confesses to have fed her by transferring food morsels by mouth and bathing her in milk and gravy
- Ann is disgraced and reduced to begging
1859: Anorexia or insanity?
- MD runs a mental asylum, publishes paper
- notes adolescent girls’ disinterest in food, & questions whether their refusal to eat might be a ploy to gain more attention
- calls illness sitomania, believing their self starvation a symptom of insanity
- MD runs a mental asylum, publishes paper
- notes adolescent girls’ disinterest in food, & questions whether their refusal to eat might be a ploy to gain more attention
- calls illness sitomania, believing their self starvation a symptom of insanity
1859: Parisian Restrictors
- French physician Louis-Victor March publishes his observations of “hysteria”
- young paris women who severely restrict food at mealtimes
- he counsels professional medical help and separation from the family environment
- French physician Louis-Victor March publishes his observations of “hysteria”
- young paris women who severely restrict food at mealtimes
- he counsels professional medical help and separation from the family environment
(1/2)
1869: Welsh Fasting Girl (Wales)
- Sarah Jacob, 12, has reportedly refused food for two years
- first reduces her intake to a pill sized apple, then nothing
- many corroborate the story and the Jacob family collects money from religious pilgrims who visit Sarah’s bedside
1869: Welsh Fasting Girl (Wales)
- Sarah Jacob, 12, has reportedly refused food for two years
- first reduces her intake to a pill sized apple, then nothing
- many corroborate the story and the Jacob family collects money from religious pilgrims who visit Sarah’s bedside
(2/2)
- concerned locals contact a hospital which sets up a watch to discover how the feeble girl survives
- her parents become convinced Sarah has supernatural abilities and refuse to allow feedings without her consent
- immediately she begins to fail and within a week is dead
- concerned locals contact a hospital which sets up a watch to discover how the feeble girl survives
- her parents become convinced Sarah has supernatural abilities and refuse to allow feedings without her consent
- immediately she begins to fail and within a week is dead
thank you for reading! if theres enough interest i'll do a part two, which will cover up until modern times.
