Eating Disorders: in Tanach and Gemara

(ח) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָ֜הּ אֶלְקָנָ֣ה אִישָׁ֗הּ חַנָּה֙ לָ֣מֶה תִבְכִּ֗י וְלָ֙מֶה֙ לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְלִ֔י וְלָ֖מֶה יֵרַ֣ע לְבָבֵ֑ךְ הֲל֤וֹא אָֽנֹכִי֙ ט֣וֹב לָ֔ךְ מֵעֲשָׂרָ֖ה בָּנִֽים׃

I Samuel 1:8

(8) Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why aren’t you eating? Why are you so sad? Am I not more devoted to you than ten sons?”

I know it's a long shot, but Channah may have been anorexic. Channah has been unable to have children. It could have been that when at first she couldn't have kids she fell into a depression "why are you so sad" which may have lead her to develop Anorexia Nervosa. An eating disorder that can make you feel like you aren't needed, and to make it worse she probably would have stopped getting her period leading to more infertility, which led her into a deeper depression. It's a full out cycle.

Sefer Midot was written in the 14th century, and the author is anonymous.

ספר המדות, אכילה, חלק ראשון ה׳

(ה) ה. כְּשֶׁאוֹכֵל קְצָת, לִבּוֹ נִמְשָׁךְ יוֹתֵר אַחַר אֲכִילָה, מִמִּי שֶׁלּא אָכַל כְּלָל וְנִתְיָאֵשׁ מִלֶּאֱכל.

Sefer HaMiddot, Eating, Part I 5

(5) 5. When one eats a little, he is (lit. his heart is) drawn more after food than one who has not eaten at all and has already given up on eating.

ספרא, בחוקתי, פרק ו ב׳

(ב) [ב] "בשברי לכם מטה לחם"-- לרבות כל מסעדי לחם. "ואפו עשר נשים לחמכם בתנור אחד"-- מבלי עצים. "והשיבו לחמכם במשקל"-- שתהא פת נפולת והן יושבות ומשקלות אותה בתנור. ר' יוסי בן דורמסקית אומר "משקל" מה תלמוד לומר? משל: ביד אדם איסר ופרוטה והוא יושב ומשקלו ואומר "אקח בו פת?... אוכל אני ולא שבע; אקח בו תמרים! שמא אוכל אני ושבע!". -- אף על פי כן אוכל ולא שבע שנאמר "ואכלתם ולא תשבעו". דבר אחר: "ואכלתם ולא תשבעו"-- זה רעב של מהומה.

Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 6 2

(2) 2) (20:26) "When I break your staff of bread": to include all that comes with the bread. "ten women shall bake your bread in one oven: for lack of wood, "and they shall dole out your bread by weight": For the wheat will be rotten (and the loaf will crumble) and they will sit and weigh it at the oven. ("and you will eat and not be sated") R. Yossi b. Dormaskith says: As people say: (If he had) an issar and a perutah (coins), he would sit and "weigh" (in his mind) and say "I will buy a loaf. (Maybe) I will eat it (and be sated") — but he is not sated. "I will buy dates. Maybe I will eat them and be sated." But still, he eats them and is not sated, viz.: "and you will eat and not be sated." Variantly: "You will eat and not be sated": This is the famine of (intestinal) commotion (i.e., malfunction).

יומא פ״ג ב:ז׳

ת"ר מי שאחזו בולמוס מאכילין אותו דבש וכל מיני מתיקה שהדבש וכל מיני מתיקה מאירין מאור עיניו של אדם ואע"פ שאין ראיה לדבר זכר לדבר (שמואל א יד, כט) ראו נא כי אורו עיני כי טעמתי מעט דבש הזה

Yoma 83b:7

The Sages taught in a baraita: In the case of one who is seized with bulmos, one feeds him honey and all types of sweet foods, as the honey and all types of sweet foods restore the sight of his eyes. And although there is no clear proof for the matter, there is an allusion to the matter. Jonathan said: “See, I pray you, how my eyes are brightened because I tasted a little of this honey” (I Samuel 14:29).

Yoma 83a-b talks a lot about bulomus. This references to how the ancient Romans would act during their dinner parties, stuff themselves until they couldn't eat anymore, go to the front, make themselves throw up, and go back to eat more.The Gemara forbids us from purging, so bulimia is forbidden. But if you find a friend who was overcome with bulomus, you can feed him or her forbidden foods.

יומא פ״ג ב:ח׳

ומאי אע"פ שאין ראיה לדבר דהתם לאו בולמוס אחזיה

Yoma 83b:8

The Gemara asks: And why does the baraita say: Although there is no clear proof for the matter, when that verse is a strong proof? The Gemara answers: There, Jonathan was not seized with bulmos, he was merely very hungry. Therefore, the episode provides no evidence that honey or sweet foods are the remedy for bulmos.

יומא פ״ג א:ט״ו

ת"ר מי שאחזו בולמוס מאכילין אותו הקל הקל טבל ונבילה מאכילין אותו נבילה טבל ושביעית שביעית

Yoma 83a:15

§ The Sages taught: In the case of one who is seized with bulmos and must be fed until his vision is restored, one feeds him the items whose prohibition is least severe first. If he must be fed forbidden foods, he should first be fed those whose level of prohibition is least severe. For instance, if there is untithed produce and an unslaughtered animal carcass [neveila] or any other non-kosher meat, one feeds him the neveila, as the prohibition of untithed produced warrants death at the hand of Heaven, but eating non-kosher meat is a transgression punishable only by lashes. If there is untithed produce and produce from the Sabbatical Year, he is fed the produce from the Sabbatical Year. Untithed produce warrants death at the hand of Heaven, whereas the produce of a Sabbatical Year is prohibited by a positive mitzva and there is no punishment associated with it.

יומא פ״ג א:י״ד

גמ׳ ת"ר מניין היו יודעין שהאירו עיניו משיבחין בין טוב לרע אמר אביי ובטעמא

Yoma 83a:14

GEMARA: The Sages taught: From where would they know that his eyes had recovered their sight? It is from when he can discern between good and bad food, since under the influence of bulmos one eats food indiscriminately. Abaye said: It is with tasting. When he can distinguish the tastes of different foods his eyesight must have also recovered. For example, at night, although it is dark, the sign that his eyesight has been restored is that he is able to detect difference in tastes (Me’iri).

ביאור שטיינזלץ על יומא פ״ג א:ט״ו

תנו רבנן [שנו חכמים]: מי שאחזו בולמוס וחייבים להאכילו עד שיאורו עיניו — מאכילין אותו הקל הקל, שאם היו צריכים להאכילו דברים אסורים, מקדימים להאכילו מאלה שאיסורם קל יותר, כגון היו להם טבל (תבואה שלא הופרש ממנה מעשר) ונבילה — מאכילין אותו נבילה, שאיסור טבל יש בו מיתה בידי שמים ונבילה בלא תעשה בלבד. טבל ושביעית — מאכילין אותו שביעית, שהטבל הוא במיתה בידי שמים ואילו השביעית אינה אלא במצות עשה.

Steinsaltz on Yoma 83a:15

...

Binge Eating disorder, is a disorder where a person eats more than a normal person would in a short amount of time, without purging their food. This can lead to a major gain in weight. As we see below Rabbi Yishmael, and Rabbi Elazar were both excessively obese. Whether or not they binged is up to you.
Although below, it says that Rav Elazar's wife would prepare for him sixty types of relish made from figs, and he would become healthy (most likely a boost in energy to get him going through the day), but she wouldn't let him to the Beit Midrash, in fear that the Rabbi's would push him past his limits.

בבא מציעא פ״ד א:ג׳

כי הוו מקלעי ר' ישמעאל ברבי יוסי ור' אלעזר בר' שמעון בהדי הדדי הוה עייל בקרא דתורי בינייהו ולא הוה נגעה בהו

Bava Metzia 84a:3

§ With regard to these Sages, the Gemara adds: When Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei, and Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, would meet each other, it was possible for a pair of oxen to enter and fit between them, under their bellies, without touching them, due to their excessive obesity.

בבא מציעא פ״ד ב:ב׳

למחר עבדה ליה דביתהו שיתין מיני לפדא ואכיל להו וברי ולא הות שבקא ליה דביתהו למיפק לבי מדרשא כי היכי דלא לדחקוהו רבנן

Bava Metzia 84b:2

The following day, i.e., every morning, his wife would prepare for him sixty types of relish [lifda] made from figs, and he would eat them and become healthy. His wife, concerned for his health, would not allow him to go to the study hall, so that the Rabbis would not push him beyond his limits.

Moral of the Story. If you know someone who is dealing with an eating disorder, let he or she know that they aren't alone. The Talmud has ways for them to feel comfortable. If a person's life is in danger, they are allowed to eat, even the "impure" stuff.

nitza laser