BackgroundWe set out to determine whether anorexia nervosa exists in a culture where the pressure to be thin is less pervasive.AimsTo determine whether there were any cases of anorexia nervosa in female students attending two secondary schools in the north-east region of Ghana.MethodThe body mass index (BMI) of consenting students was calculated after measuring their height and weight. Those with a BMI ⩽19 kg/m2 underwent a structured clinical assessment including mental state, physical examination and completion of the Eating Attitudes Test and the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh. Participants nominated a best friend to serve as a comparison group, and these young women underwent the same assessments.ResultsOf the 668 students who were screened for BMI, 10 with a BMI <175 kg/m2 appeared to have self-starvation as the only cause of their low weight. All 10 viewed their food restriction positively and in religious terms. The beliefs of these individuals included ideas of self-control and denial of hunger, without the typical anorexic concerns about weight or shape.ConclusionsMorbid self-starvation may be the core feature of anorexia nervosa, with the attribution for the self-starvation behaviour varying between cultures.

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Purpose -This is a short article on the origins of the Women's Enterprise Policy Group in the UK. The purpose of the article is to illustrate the need for a historical context for policy development on key issues. Design/methodology/approach -The approach is based on the authors' practical experience and knowledge of the women's entrepreneurship policy context in the UK. Findings -The coherence of the Women's Enterprise Policy Group, in both its membership and agenda, comes from a shared experience of enterprise policy development over a period of 15 years in the UK. Originality/value -The value of this article is to highlight the importance of historical context in policy development and to introduce and share the work of the Women's Enterprise Policy Group.

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