Anorexia mirabilis, also known as holy anorexia or inedia prodigiosa or colloquially as fasting girls,[1][2][3] is an eating disorder, similar to that of anorexia nervosa,[1][2] that was common in, but not restricted to, the Middle Ages in Europe, largely affecting Catholic nuns and religious women.[3][4] Self-starvation was common among religious women, as a way to imitate the suffering of Jesus in his torments during the Passion, as women were largely restricted to causing themselves voluntary pain by fasting, whereas holy men experienced suffering through physical punishment.[3]
- ^ a b Hepworth, Julie (1999). The Social Construction of Anorexia Nervosa. SAGE. pp. 23-25. ISBN 9781848609006.
- ^ a b Ozer, Yvette Malamud (2012). A Student Guide to Health: Understanding the Facts, Trends, and Challenges [5 volumes]: Understanding the Facts, Trends, and Challenges. ABC-CLIO. pp. 115–116. ISBN 9780313393068.
- ^ a b c Espi Forcen, Fernando (April 2013). "Anorexia Mirabilis: The Practice of Fasting by Saint Catherine of Siena in the Late Middle Ages". American Journal of Psychiatry. 170 (4): 370–371. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12111457. PMID 23545792.
- ^ Espi Forcen, Fernando (April 2013). "Anorexia Mirabilis: The Practice of Fasting by Saint Catherine of Siena in the Late Middle Ages". American Journal of Psychiatry. 170 (4): 370–371. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12111457. ISSN 0002-953X. PMID 23545792.