Anorexia nervosa in two Nigerians

Abstract

The general belief that anorexia nervosa is rare among non-whites should be cautiously accepted based on some very recent reports of the occurrence of the disorder in individuals of African descent. Two young Nigerians who presented classical features of anorexia nervosa are reported. In Case I, anorexia now regarded to be of low diagnostic value was absent, but in both cases identified antecedent psychosexual conflicts are explainable by well-known psychodynamic hypotheses. The relatively low prevalence of the disorder that has been observed might be due to: the protective influence of the Nigerian extended kinship system, the customary passion for plumpness as an attribute of physical attractiveness, carbohydrate diet "resistance" and the non-inclusion of cases in hospital records because of consultation with unorthodox healers. The general trend of increasing prevalence calls for more diagnostic vigilance, particularly among doctors serving populations with Third World background.