Crossing the Color Line

Abstract

Diversification continues to change the landscape of therapeutic practice for the treatment of eating disorders, and challenges myths that the illness primarily afflicts upper middle-class college-age White women driven toward American images of slenderness (Gordon, Perez, & Joiner, 2002). However, researchers have more recently begun to explore eating disorder etiology amongst ethnic groups, and are increasingly aware that women from non-western origins including Latin and African cultures suffer (Gordon, 2001), as well as from such places as China, Japan, India, and Pakistan (Abdollahi & Mann, 2001; Nakamura, Yamamoto, Yamazaki, Kawashima, Muto, Someya, Sakurai, & Nozoe, 2000). The aim of this article is to review prevalence and emerging realities amongst diverse populations, and deconstruct prevailing stereotypes to address the impact of such myths on clinical practice, detection, and prevention. Discussion and approaches are offered to help clinicians enhance, refine, and develop their cultural competencies when working frequently marginalized populations. doi:10.1300/J086vl9n04_02

Key Words:

• Ethnicity
• eating disorders
• cultural competency