A geography of eating disorders: The role of place and environment in development, rituals, and treatment for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Eating disorders are very serious mental illnesses. With the number of those affected on the rise and the average age of onset starting to drop, it is important to understand as much as possible about these deadly diseases. In this thesis I focus on place and environment and the role they play in the development, rituals, and treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. To accomplish this I look back at my own experiences with anorexia as well as drawing on the experiences of others. I do this by examining the journals I kept while in treatment for anorexia and going back to that treatment center I attended to interview some of the staff and past patients. After analysis of the data I discuss whether it is place or environment that is most prevalent among the development, rituals, and treatment of eating disorders and make recommendations for future work.