GRSJ224/Medicalization of Anorexia

Medicalization

Medicalization can be defined as the process of treating a human social condition as a medical condition. It is a concept that has been around for many years, originating in 1973 by Ivan Illich. He was the first to associate every day life patterns as medical conditions. For example, Illich described the low level of tolerance to sadness as a medical condition that we now diagnose as depression. Similarly, and within the same time frame, Foucault (1976) stressed that a doctor's duties include the ability to differentiate what is considered normal and what is pathological.

What is Anorexia?

Anorexia, or anorexia nervosa, is an emotional eating disorder whereby an individual refuses to intake food due to an obsessive urge to lose weight. Simply put, it is the tendency of self-starvation. This condition is extremely dangerous for one's health and is potentially life-threatening. Those suffering from the anorexia have an extremely low body weight compared to their height and body type. They often accomplish this low body weight with abnormal eating patterns and minimal consumption. However, they often believe they are much heavier than they appear due to a skewed obsession with a thin figure.

Types of Anorexia

There are two major common types of anorexia: Binge/Purge and Restrictive. Both exhibit the same symptoms including fear of gaining weight and abnormal consumption patterns.

Binge/Purge Type

This type of anorexia revolves around the individual purging after eating. Purging is often done via vomiting,