Eating Disorders During Theedoperiod Between 1603 And 1867 In Japan

Objective The purpose of this study is to examine whetherFushoku-byoandShinsen-roare eating disorders or not. Method We completed a retrospective review ofFushoku-byoandShinsen-roduring theEdoperiod (1603-1867) using the original books of these disorders written byKampodoctors and compared these disorders with eating disorders in the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Results There were more than 50 patients withFushoku-byoandShinsen-roduring theEdoperiod, when Japan was closed to the rest of the world. More than 90% of them were young women. All patients demonstrated food restriction or avoidance that significantly impaired their physical health or psychosocial functioning.Kampodoctors did not mention any fat phobia and disturbed body image. They considered these disorders to be caused by psychological distress and recommended psychological treatment. Discussion The finding in this study challenges some of the presumptions that the development of eating disorders in non-Western countries is attributed to modern Western influence. It is plausible that these patients could have been categorized as having unspecified feeding or eating disorder in the DSM-5, when the presence or absence of fat phobia and disturbed body image is unclear.