[Self-starvation over 1500 years: the work of God, the devil or weight-control?]

For centuries self-starvation among young women has been the subject of intensive discussion. First and foremost it has been a question of debate over aetiological models. During the middle ages, the central issue was whether self-starvation was the work of God or the devil. Subsequently the question was whether the explanation was scientific or religious. The aim of medical science was to find a scientific explanation or debunk the phenomenon as fraudulent. The causes of self-starvation remain unclear. During the nineteenth century, the focus switched back and forth between biological and psychosocial models. Current multifactorial aetiological models take into account biological susceptibility, socio-cultural factors and psychological vulnerability.