The term anorexia nervosa was established in 1873 by Queen Victoria's personal physician, Sir William Gull.
Who discovered anorexia nervosa?
Leading articles or textbooks on anorexia nervosa generally give credit for its discovery to either the British physician William Withey Gull or to the French neuropsychiatrist Ernest Charles Lasègue.
Who was the first to describe anorexia nervosa gull or Lasègue?
Sir William GullFrench physician Ernest-Charles Lasègue's name is famous in eating disorder circles for being, with Britain's Sir William Gull, the first to formally describe anorexia nervosa, which Lasègue termed 'anorexie hystérique' in his classic 1873 paper 1.
When was the word anorexic first used?
In 1873, Sir William Gull, another English physician, coined the term “anorexia nervosa” in published case reports.
Where does the term anorexia nervosa come from?
Etymology of the Term “Anorexia” The word originates from the Greek language, and means “without appetite.” Initial publications on this eating disorder in 1873 were titled “anorexia hysterica,” but the condition was referred to as “anorexia nervosa” in a significant medical presentation the following year.
Who was the first anorexic person?
1613: Jane Balan – the “French fasting girl of Confolens” He noted that she “lived without receiving meat or drink for at least three years.” The condition began on 15 February 1599, when Jane Balans was around 10 years old.
Where does the word nervosa come from?
From the scientific term anorexia nervosa (1957), from the symptom anorexia (“loss of appetite”), from Ancient Greek ἀν- (an-, “without”) + ὄρεξις (órexis, “appetite, desire”), and Latin nervōsa (“nervous”).
Is anorexia and anorexia nervosa the same thing?
"Anorexia" describes a simple inability or aversion to eating, whether caused by a medical problem or a mental health issue. "Anorexia nervosa," however, is the name for the clinical eating disorder, the main symptom of which is self-starvation.
What is anorexia medical term?
Listen to pronunciation. (a-nuh-REK-see-uh) An abnormal loss of the appetite for food. Anorexia can be caused by cancer, AIDS, a mental disorder (i.e., anorexia nervosa), or other diseases.
Who discovered bulimia?
Bulimia nervosa was first described in 1979 by British psychiatrist Gerald Russell as a "chronic phase of anorexia nervosa" in which patients overeat and then use compensatory mechanisms, such as self-induced vomiting, laxatives, or prolonged periods of starvation.
The Historical Record
History of Anorexia Nervosa
In 1689, English physician Richard Morton described two cases of “nervous consumption” —one in a boy and one in a girl. These are considered the earliest modern cases of the illness we now know as anorexia nervosa. He described the lack of a physical explanation for the loss of appetite and wasting and hence, determined “this Consumption to be Nerv...
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History of Bulimia Nervosa
In contrast to anorexia nervosa—which appears to have been noted throughout history—bulimia nervosaappears to be a more modern development. Bulimia nervosa was first described as a variant of anorexia in 1979 by British psychiatrist, Gerald Russell. Russell himself believed that bulimia nervosa was a culture-bound condition and did not believe that extrapolating to historica…
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History of Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder was even later on the scene. Binge eating disorder was first described in 1959 by psychiatrist Albert Stunkard, who coined the term “Night Eating Syndrome”. He later specified that binge eating could occur without the nocturnal component of that disorder. Binge eating disorder was first studied in weight loss populations. In 1993 a cognitive behavioral thera…
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Diagnostic History
The three major disorders entered the Diagnostic and Statistical Manualin the same order. Anorexia nervosa was accepted as a psychological disorder in the late 1800s after the early reports recounted above. In 1952, it earned a place in the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-I), the first eating disorder to do so. However, it was …
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in Summary
While anorexia nervosa appears to have existed for centuries and to take on meaning according to the sociocultural context, bulimia nervosa is believed to be a more modern disorder influenced by sociocultural factors, specifically the intensified idealization of thinness and the increased availability of high-density foods. Binge eating relies on large stores of readily edible food so is li…
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