Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa as expressions of a cultural complex in contemporary Western society

The present paper provides a theoretical synthesis of the sociocultural dimensions of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa within Jungian analytical psychology, with particular emphasis on the concept of the cultural complex. Drawing on classical and neo-Jungian theories and perspectives from feminist theory, medical anthropology, sociology of the body, and clinical psychology, it explores how eating disorders may be understood as culturally embedded forms of psychopathology within contemporary Western society. The synthesis integrates literature on archetypal motifs, myths, religious symbolism, and sociocultural processes including Westernization, digital identity construction, and the commodification of the body and food. Cultural ideals of thinness, control, asceticism, and perfectionism are conceptualized as culturally shared and emotionally charged patterns that may shape meanings attributed to the body, identity, food, and eating and may interact with individual psychological and relational vulnerabilities. The proposed model organizes these diverse sociocultural and symbolic dimensions within a neo-Jungian cultural-complex framework. The framework is offered as a heuristic and interpretive synthesis of theoretical, clinical, and empirical literature rather than as an empirically validated etiological model or as evidence of established causal relationships. It is intended to complement, rather than replace, biopsychosocial models of eating disorders and may provide an additional conceptual perspective for understanding the cultural dimensions of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and their potential relevance to psychotherapy, prevention, and cultural analysis.