The body and eating disorders: Health professionals’ social imaginaries of the body

Abstract

This article presents the results of a qualitative research using in-depth interviews the last two years. Our research has focussed on how is constructed the perception of the human body by Social Workers and Psychology professionals in Galicia (Spain). This perception has been analyzed as an influent element in their work with alimentary disorders of the conduct. The research realized brings up three main conclusions. First, body is considered as the instrument used by diagnosed people to stop time and even reverse their personal evolution when they experience personal identity conflicts, especially among women patients. Second, professionals perceive that patients notice their bodies as their own building responsibilities in open contract with the society perceptions where our bodies appear somehow unreachable, ideal and under unreal parameters. Finally, body perception is driven by social imaginaries in which the moral (taboo or sin) and the biological are clearly predominant.