From Denormalization to Neutral Vulnerability: How Feminist Women with Eating Disorders Perceive and Reconstruct Their Experiences

This study explores the relationship between feminism and the experiences of women with eating disorders, focusing on how feminism enables them to reinterpret their mental conditions and the stigma surrounding them. Since the 2010s, there has been a rise in the number of young women suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder in South Korea. Notably, many of them have publicly identified as feminists on social network services, following the resurgence of feminism around 2015. This appears paradoxical, as traditional psychological research links eating disorders to gender norms that idealize thin bodies, while feminism advocates for the body liberation. Why, then, do feminist-identifying women continue to struggle with these disorders? Is feminism failing to bring about the transformative changes in women’s self-perception on their bodies?

To investigate these questions, the author conducted in-depth interviews with 15 young women who self-identified as feminists while experiencing eating disorders. Thematic analysis on these interviews revealed that, though feminism did not immediately alleviate their symptoms, it provided a strong framework for self-acceptance and reduced self-deprecation. Feminism gave them a language to reframe their ‘abnormal’ eating behaviors, helping them view their experiences as a ‘neutral vulnerability’ through a reflective, meta-perspective. They distanced themselves from their disorders and explored the social roots of their conditions, framing their symptoms as products of gender oppression. Additionally, they connected their vulnerabilities to stigmas faced by LGBTQ+ and lower-class women, rejecting exclusionary feminist views in favor ofore inclusive perspective.

This study uncovers a new pathway through which feminist ideology supports women, emphasizing its role in fostering self-reinterpretation and empowerment. Furthermore, the findings highlight the social origins of eating disorders and suggest that feminist narratives can play a key role in articulating mental symptoms and building solidarity among those with shared vulnerabilities.