[The spiritual dimensions of anorexia nervosa]

The historical roots of anorexia nervosa are closely linked to religious ascetic traditions. During the Middle Ages, numerous "fasting saints," including Catherine of Siena and Saint Margaret of Hungary, regarded prolonged fasting as a path to spiritual purification, self-mastery, and union with God. The denial of bodily needs symbolized holiness, moral purity, and transcendence. In modern secular societies, however, these meanings have not disappeared but have been transformed. Several scholars argue that the contemporary cult of thinness functions as a quasi-religious ideology in which weight loss, self-control, and bodily discipline acquire moral significance. From this perspective, anorexia can be understood not only as a psychiatric disorder but also as a distorted attempt at self-transcendence and secular salvation. Social media further intensifies these processes by promoting constant self-surveillance, comparison, and body control. The influence of online Pro-Ana communities is particularly striking. These groups often employ prayers, creeds, commandments, and ritualized practices that resemble religious structures. Within such symbolic systems, hunger becomes a test of moral strength, self-denial is celebrated as a virtue, and thinness is portrayed as a pathway to perfection and redemption. Consequently, anorexia may be viewed not only as an individual psychopathology but also as a cultural expression of modern society's search for identity, and transcendence through the disciplined body. Orv Hetil. 2026; 167(37): 1455-1460.