Can a Rational Choice Framework Make Sense of Anorexia?

Can a rational choice modeling framework help broaden our understanding of anorexia nervosa? This question is interesting because anorexia nervosa is a serious health concern, and because a rational choice approach may shed useful light on a condition which appears to involve “choosing” to be ill. We present a model of weight choice and dieting applicable to anorexia nervosa, and the sometimes-associated purging behavior. We assess what that model, and an alternative way of thinking about anorexia, imply about the “rationality” of the choices involved. We also present empirical evidence about factors possibly contributing to anorexia nervosa; results are consistent with our modeling approach. A concluding section considers policy implications. We offer this analysis as a consciousnessraising way of thinking about the condition. We thank Bernard Wolf for suggesting extending the model described in this paper to see if it could be used to analyze anorexia, Vivian Valdmanis for helpful comments on an earlier draft, and Marsha Goldfarb and Sarah Duffy for useful suggestions. * Department of Economics, George Washington University ** Department of Economics, Princeton University *** Department of Economics, Emory University and NBER Corresponding author: Robert Goldfarb ([email protected])