Sociocultural factors in the development of bulimia nervosa in a blind woman: A case report

Abstract

Although several cases of eating disorders in visually impaired women have been reported, there has been little research on the development of body image and disordered eating in the blind. Overall, it is argued that blind women are protected from developing body dissatisfaction because of having had little or no exposure to thin-ideal images, and that if they do develop an eating disorder, this would be linked to other risk factors. In the one reported case of bulimia nervosa in a blind woman, body image concerns were even absent. We report a single case of bulimia nervosa in a 28-year-old congenitally blind woman whose presentation was typical, including body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. The present case underscores the need to also consider an etiological role of perceived sociocultural pressure and thin-ideal internalization in promoting body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in visually impaired women.