Blindness and Anorexia Nervosa

It is demonstrated that blind children experience many developmental problems which are thought to be important in the etiology of anorexia nervosa, and the apparent absence of a strong association between congenital blindness and anorexic nervosa challenges the presumed aetiological link between disturbed body image and identity diffusion.

Abstract

Two cases of anorexia nervosa in blind patients are reported. They demonstrate that blind children experience many developmental problems which are thought to be important in the etiology of anorexia nervosa. Similarly, blind children are unusually susceptible to misperceive their body size and weight. The apparent absence of a strong association between congenital blindness and anorexia nervosa challenges the presumed aetiological link between disturbed body image and identity diffusion, and anorexia nervosa.