Content area
Full Text
1.
Introduction
Disordered eating (DE) refers to a wide range of abnormal eating behaviours that include excessive dieting and unhealthy weight control practices (Neumark-Sztainer et al. , 2011). The severity and frequency of behaviours is not enough to fulfil a diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder (ED), hence the use of subclinical EDs or DE in the literature. DE has been shown to be an important risk factor for the development of EDs and a target for early prevention of ED development (Neumark-Sztainer et al. , 2011). EDs is a term covering the broad categories of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Historically EDs were thought to be "Western culture-bound syndromes" (Soh and Walter, 2013); however, EDs are increasingly documented in diverse countries and cultures worldwide and appear to be increasing in, for example, the Asian regions with rising industrialisation, urbanisation and globalisation (Pike et al. , 2014). Pike and Dunne (2015) in their review of the rise of EDs in Asia suggest that EDs are not culture-bound or culture-specific, but culture-reactive. Soh and Walter (2013) found that African, Latin American and Hispanic groups were the most studied cultural groups with all other ethnic groups, including South Asian (SA) (those who originate from the Indian subcontinent), having few articles published on EDs. They concluded further research was required in this area to remove barriers to accessing care.
A number of studies have examined EDs among those from minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK. A recent population survey in South East London found a high prevalence of DE amongst minority ethnic populations, including SA (Solmi et al. , 2014). An earlier study in the UK showed that the prevalence of BN amongst schoolgirls from the SA community in Bradford was higher than for their white counterparts (Mumford et al. , 1991). Bhugra and Bhui's (2003) study amongst teenagers in London showed differences across cultural groups with those from an "Asian" background being significantly more likely, than those from a white or African-Caribbean background, to be compulsive eaters, to fast and to think food dominated their lives. Despite these findings, referrals from members of this...