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Updated: May 25, 2026
04:48
Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System
Published on: May 8, 2018
Anorexia nervosa in a blind girl
Jana Kocourkova1, Marcela Soltysova, Marketa Mohaplova
1Department of Child Psychiatry, 2nd faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic. jana.kocourkova@lfmotol.cuni.cz
Neuro Endocrinology Letters
|January 31, 2012
Summary
Eating disorders can affect blind adolescents, challenging the idea that body image relies solely on sight. This case study highlights mental anorexia in a visually impaired teen, indicating a broader spectrum of these disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Body Image Research
Background:
- Eating disorders are prevalent in adolescents, often linked to cultural emphasis on physical appearance.
- Visual-centric societal norms may influence body image perception and contribute to eating disorder risk.
- The potential for eating disorders in individuals with sensory impairments, like blindness, is not well understood.
Observation:
- A case study of an adolescent patient blind since early childhood is presented.
- The patient exhibited symptoms including anorexia nervosa, depression, and self-harming behaviors.
- This observation suggests that visual perception is not a prerequisite for developing eating disorders.
Findings:
- Body image is a complex mental construct, not solely dependent on visual sensory input.
- Blindness does not preclude the development of eating disorders or related psychopathology.
- The study indicates that internal mental representations of the body can be affected.
Implications:
- Clinicians should consider eating disorders in visually impaired populations.
- Further research is needed to understand the specific risk factors and manifestations in blind individuals.
- This challenges traditional etiological models of eating disorders, broadening the scope of body image research.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Anorexia Nervosa
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01:30Bulimia Nervosa
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01:23Binge Eating Disorders
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01:12Visual Agnosia
Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...
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01:22Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
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