Some available to read journal articles on eating disorders in Asian and Arab communities

 Hi everyone, I wrote my eating disorder awareness article in 2021 and I covered among other things in that article about black and black mixed raced people who experienced eating disorders. I wish I could have covered more diverse groups with eating disorders, but I couldn't fulfil this in that article. I wanted today to link to some eating disorder articles that have value in this field that span more diverse groups. I have linked to them below. Hopefully this may help somebody. I cannot paste all of the articles to be read here, as that is in breach of copyright, and will link to the article and if it can be read. I wish you all well.

The articles below are free articles which can be downloaded from the websites in full for free.

Anorexia Nervosa  in Arab Culture : A Case Study- Abdalla Hamid


ABSTRACT

Incidence of anorexia nervosa is extremely rare in Arab culture. This case study is concerned with anorexia nervosa in a young woman who is 14-years old. The onset of the disorder was at a very young age (12.5 years). Attitudinal, behavioural and cognitive aspects that contribute to the occurrence of anorexia nervosa were identified. Cognitive behavioural techniques were employed to deal with negative attitudes, thoughts and maladaptive behaviour. Difficulties encountered by therapists such as social stigma and negative cultural attitudes toward psychiatric illnesses and psychotherapy were addressed. The role of these cultural barriers in hindering the process of therapy was also discussed. 

 The article can be downloaded here below-

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328355476_Anorexia_Nervous_in_Arab_Culture_A_Case_Study


The rise of eating disorders in Asia: a review


https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-015-0070-2

Views and experiences of eating disorders treatments in East Asia: a meta-synthesis


https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-024-01070-4

Cultural differences in eating disorders with particular emphasis on British South Asian communities


Summary

Contrary to historic perceptions, eating disorders are not "culture-bound" phenomena predominantly confined to young White female populations in Western countries, but occur at similar rates in minority ethnic groups and in the general populations of non-Western countries. AN, BN and binge eating disorder have been documented in Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East, as well as in individuals of Asian, African, Latin, Hispanic and Middle Eastern ethnicities in Europe, the US and Australia. Despite comparable point prevalence rates for eating disorders in Western and non-Western countries, and between White and non-White groups within Western societies, differences exist in cultural attitudes to food, body image perceptions and precipitating factors for eating disorders that may complicate diagnosis in minority ethnic groups and confound effective management.

You can download the full article here-

https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/333960654/CEPiP6-Article-4_3.pdf

The rise of eating disorders in Asia: a review


https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s40337-015-0070-2.pdf 

State, food, and me: an autoethnographic reflection on the sociocultural dimensions of Chinese women’s eating disorders

Background

Eating disorders among Chinese women have been growing in recent years, yet, little research has explored these experiences in non-Western contexts. This study aimed to challenge the dominant Western-centric models, which often universalise psychiatric frameworks and overlook culturally embedded aspects of distress. It critically examines how sociocultural forces in contemporary China shape the development and recovery of eating disorders among Chinese women.

 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40337-025-01498-2

The Incidence and Prevalence of Eating Disorders Between 1975 and 2024: A Commentary on Lee and Chi (2025)

ABSTRACT
Over the past five decades (1975–2024), research on eating disorders (EDs) has expanded significantly, as evidenced by the bibliometric analysis by Lee and Chi (2025). This growth reflects heightened public and academic interest, likely influenced by several key developments in the classification and epidemiology of EDs. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders has progressively included more ED diagnoses, such as bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder (BED), and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) between 1975 and 2024. Recognition of EDs among males and older individuals has improved, although these groups remain underrepresented in clinical settings and in research. Global studies indicate rising ED prevalence in Asian countries.

While anorexia nervosa remains relatively rare in Latin America and Africa, bulimia nervosa and BED are also common disorders on these continents. Epidemiological data in the Netherlands suggest that, overall, ED incidence has not increased between 1975 and 2024; however, a notable exception is the significant increase in anorexia nervosa among 10- to 14-year-old girls. Emerging evidence indicates that since the onset of and during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a global rise in reported cases of EDs.

 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eat.24495

Restricter anorexia nervosa in a thirteen-year-old sheltered muslim girl raised in lahore, pakistan: Developmental similarities to westernised patients 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1098-108X(199311)14:3%3C383::AID-EAT2260140318%3E3.0.CO;2-1

This article is not available to be downloaded for free.