Revisiting ‘Asia’: exploring the utility and limitations of the concept of ‘Asia’ in relation to discourse on eating disorders

Abstract

The emergence of eating disorders over the past few decades in a number of non-Western cultures, including many countries in Asia, has shed light on the key role that culture plays in the development of eating disorders. Yet discourse and research in the eating disorders field rely heavily on 'Western' diagnostic and theoretical models, as well as geopolitical concepts such as 'Asia'. This paper discusses the origins of the term 'Asia' and the implications of its usage in eating disorders research. Consciousness of the use of such culturally loaded terms is needed in order to preclude ethnocentric appraisals of eating disorders within non-Western populations.