In preparing for this final blog of the series, I did a small amount of internet research into anorexia (more fully, “anorexia nervosa”)–a diagnosable condition in which a person (predominately though not always female) so limits her food intake to the point of endangering her health. It goes well beyond dieting, and is potentially life-threatening.

One site, discussing this disease, states:

[T]here are psychological, environmental, and social factors that may contribute to the development of anorexia. People with anorexia come to believe that their lives would be better if only they were thinner. These people tend to be perfectionists and overachievers. In fact, the typical anorexic person is a good student involved in school and community activities. Many experts think that anorexia is part of an unconscious attempt to come to terms with unresolved conflicts or painful childhood experiences.

Anecdotally, I’ve heard persons (doctors, therapists, nurses) who have dealt with persons suffering from what get loosely termed “eating disorders” describe that many anorexic persons feel out of control in their lives, and latch onto exercising an obsessive control over what goes into their bodies by parceling out their food intake: to as little as a single Cheerio® for breakfast or a cracker (if that) for dinner.

Certain phrases from the WebMD discussion, above, are haunting… “come to believe their lives would be better”…”tend to be perfectionists and overachievers”…”a good student involved in school and community activities.” Adding that there are underlying conflicts or painful childhood issues almost seems superfluous.

And so we turn to the saint for today–Melania. Melania was a good girl, born in 383. She did what she was told. In fact Melania ended up married to a man much older than herself–a Roman prefect to whom she was given when only thirteen years old. After Melania’s first two children died as sickly infants, Melania’s husband readily agreed not to have sex with Melania for the ostensible purpose of their both devoting themselves to God. Read: Melania was damaged goods, not likely to provide a living heir.

Well, good and overachieving Melania was still quite young (at least as we reckon in the 21st century). She soon received a directive from her well-regarded grandmother to sell all that she (Melania) possessed and give it to the poor. Melania, of course, immediately complied. At that point, Melania went to a desert outpost of ascetics at Tagaste, a site located in present-day Algeria. There she lived as if a nun and dedicated herself to serving God as best she could: seeking to be both as poor as possible and as acceptable to God as possible. Butler picks up the narrative:

The poverty and austerity in which they lived seven years at Tagaste, appeared extreme. Melania by degrees arrived at such a habit of long fasting, as often to eat only once a week, and to take nothing but bread and water, except that on solemn occasions to her bread she added a little oil.

Sure, Melania had to work at it, but she eventually managed to restrain herself to eat as infrequently as possible and, on those occasions, to eat as little as possible. That qualifies as perfectionistic overachievement!

After those seven years, she traveled to Jerusalem, to continue this same anorexic lifestyle, “shutting herself up in a monastery of nuns, which she built and governed.” Butler adds of Melania, “Her cell was her paradise.”

Her death came about in this way: the horrifically emaciated (“holy”) Melania made a journey from Jerusalem to Rome ,to care for her dying uncle, hoping to convert the old reprobate and bring yet one more soul to Christ. Having succeeded and then having buried her uncle, Melania returned Jerusalem (an arduous journey in those days, undertaken after caring for a sick and dying man), where soon thereafter “she found herself seized with her last sickness” (how many had she had before then?), and, sadly and unsurprisingly, Melania died.

Melania certainly spent her life striving to fulfill all responsibilities laid upon her as perfectly as possible–marrying at age 13, selling all her possessions in obedience to her grandmother, and serving God. And into this mix, Melania steadily grew thinner, smaller, more self-contained, more isolated, and sicker. Care for the sick and extensive travel proved too much for her health.

Subsequently, getting an A+ for her overachievements, Melania was canonized.

Holy anorexia? Please, no. No, please.