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World’s First Restaurant for Anorexics
Dusty M. Bastian / Assistant Editor
dusty_bastian@pipeline.owens.edu
A brand new restaurant in Berlin, Germany is aimed at people suffering
from eating disorders and is billed “the world’s first restaurant
for anorexics.”
The restaurant is actually designed to create a pleasurable, not stressful,
experience for those suffering from the disorder. In fact, much of the
staff has suffered from an eating disorder at one time. Rene Kilian, a
Sehnsucht (German for “longing”) employee, told ABC News that
the owner, Kayja Eichbaum, had the idea for the restaurant “for
a while, and she wanted to help other people with the same problem.”
Anorexia, which afflicts mostly young women, is spreading around the world,
occurring in places where eating disorders had been all but unknown. Approximately
one percent of American women struggle with the disease and it will kill
between five and twenty percent of those women, according to the National
Eating Disorders Association.
Health experts estimate 100,000 anorexics across Germany. In the past,
treatment for anorexia included admitting patients into hospitals and
increasing food intake to 5,000 calories per day. With an increased knowledge
of the disease, experts now reject coercion as a form of treatment.
Sehnsucht, the new restaurant for anorexics, is trying to help. Designed
with the help of a nutritionist, the menu steers clear of describing dishes
and uses generic terms instead, stating only the absolute basics of the
dish. While the restaurant does serve wine, staffers, on account of their
own experiences, expect herbal teas to be much more popular. There is
also absolutely no mention of calories anywhere on the menu. And I expect
the dessert does not require a cart or a separate menu.
The restaurant is attached to a refuge and an advice center, all of which
are open to non-anorexics, as well. “I’m not sure I can see
it being a commercial success,” said Michael Poppl, food editor
and restaurant critic at Berlin’s magazine, Zitty. “Berlin
restaurant- goers are renowned for wanting to try new things, but I think
non-anorexics might be confused by what they can expect to actually eat
at an anorexics’ restaurant.”
“I think it’s a great idea, even if I do have serious doubts
about it,” said Andreas Schnebel, a psychologist and anorexia specialist
at Germany’s largest eating disorder support and advice center.
“Normal therapy often fails, and if anorexics can re-learn that
eating can be fun at this restaurant, then that’s wonderful.”