There are many things that make anorexia seductive, and many of them coalesce into the outlines of the underfed body. A recent reader’s question made me wonder: is there really beauty in thinness?

For decades, society has reinforced the idea that a thin body is the pinnacle of health, happiness, and success. This cultural obsession with thinness—known as the "thin ideal"—has been perpetuated by ...