Bodies Beyond Conformity

This chapter probes into the sociology of non-conforming bodies and more specifically those to whom the idiom of an “eating disorder” is attached. It explains how, across different historical and geographical contexts, bodies come to be perceived as divergent in their atypical and “unhealthy” eating practices and behaviors and how society endeavors to regulate these rebellious bodies. Drawing extensively from sociological literature on bodies, with a focus on feminist studies, the chapter considers historical and contemporary perspectives on how we shape our own bodies and how societal influences impact them. Topics explored include the concept of embodiment in relation to the disordered body, the body as a project for the body under medical scrutiny, and the commodification of the bodies in the context of neoliberalism and post-feminism. The chapter concludes with a brief consideration of the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) and other forms of technologies which can be used for surveillance on the construction and perception of bodies, both by corporate entities and by the broader public.