From Virtue to Vice: Negotiating Anorexia

Richard A. O'Connor; Penny Van Esterik

Published by Berghahn Books 2015

From Virtue to Vice

Negotiating Anorexia

Richard A. O'Connor and Penny Van Esterik

Volume 4 in the series Food, Nutrition, and Culture

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781782384564

Overview
Contents

About this book

The recovered possess the key to overcoming anorexia. Although individual sufferers do not know how the affliction takes hold, piecing their stories together reveals two accidental afflictions. One is that activity disorders—dieting, exercising, healthy eating—start as virtuous practices, but become addictive obsessions. The other affliction is a developmental disorder, which also starts with the virtuous—those eager for challenge and change. But these overachievers who seek self-improvement get a distorted life instead. Knowing anorexia from inside, the recovered offer two watchwords on helping those who suffer. One is "negotiate," to encourage compromise, which can aid recovery where coercion fails. The other is "balance," for the ill to pursue mind-with-body activities to defuse mind-over-body battles.

Author / Editor information

Richard A. O'Connor is Biehl Professor of International Studies and Anthropology at The University of the South. He has held postdoctoral awards nationally (Fulbright, SSRC-ACLS, NEH) and abroad (Kyoto University and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies).

Penny Van Esterik is a retired Professor of Anthropology from York University where she taught nutritional anthropology, advocacy anthropology and feminist theory. Past books include Beyond the Breast-Bottle Controversy, Materializing Thailand, and Food and Culture: A Reader (edited with Carole Counihan).

Richard A. O'Connor is Biehl Professor of International Studies and Anthropology at The University of the South. He has held postdoctoral awards nationally (Fulbright, SSRC-ACLS, NEH) and abroad (Kyoto University and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies).

Reviews

"I found this to be a top-notch scholarly work written in a way that will be accessible for diverse audiences including students, professional clinicians, academics, and the interested lay public." · Janet Dixon Keller, University of Illinois

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Introduction: Negotiating Anorexia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
SECTION I The Disease: An Activity Disorder
CHAPTER 1 The Person: Working with Interviews Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	17
CHAPTER 2 Medicine: Reworking Cartesian Knowledge Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	29
CHAPTER 3 The Stories: Respecting Diversity Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	38
CHAPTER 4 Bioculturalism: Seeing Holistically and Historically Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	54
CHAPTER 5 Bodily Bent: The Individual’s Constitution Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	67
CHAPTER 6 The Activity: How Ascetic Doing Takes Over Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	88
CHAPTER 7 The Core: Elementary Anorexia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	110
SECTION II The Life Cycle: A Developmental Disorder
CHAPTER 8 Youth: How Adolescence Invites Anorexia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	121
CHAPTER 9 Coming of Age: Meeting an Imagined Real World Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	134
SECTION III Modern Traditions: Cultural Paths into Anorexia
CHAPTER 10 Virtuous Eating: A Modern Morality Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	155
CHAPTER 11 The Conflicted Body: Sympathy and Control as Competing Virtues Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	167
CHAPTER 12 The Attractive Person: A Modern Appearance Ethic Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	176
SECTION IV Recovery: Finding Balance
CHAPTER 13 Getting Out: Undoing Anorexia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	189
CHAPTER 14 Staying Out: Redoing Life Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	205
Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	214
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	219
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	235

Language: English
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 252
Keywords: Medical Anthropology; Food & Nutrition

eBook

Published: March 1, 2015
ISBN: 9781782384564