Personality Traits and Eating Disorders in Wasted by Marya Hornbacher

In my research, I explored the world of eating disorders. I wanted to see if there was anything specifically encouraging eating disorders and if there was a way to stop it. Eating disorders affect the community greatly because often times, they go unchecked or unrecognized. As a recovered anorexic, I feel it’s very important to address this issue. It’s a very big problem that is often not addressed at all, or is seen as normal, like counting calories. I hoped to find a way to improve the way that eating disorders are viewed and explain to people about what defines an eating disorder, because many people will never know if it is not explicitly explained to them. My study’s purpose is to bring light into the dark world of eating disorders and find a way to help those who need it most. It has become too common a problem to not be addressed, and it is imperative that it is stopped. Originally, I wanted to do a study on self-destructive behavior and if it was a result of society or not. I found many limitations, one of which was that the definition of self-destructive isn’t definite. There are many different meanings and ways to be self destructive. That being said, I couldn’t accurately gage whether or not it was a result of society or not. I had to move on completely from that topic. I chose the subject of eating disorders because it’s become glamorized by the internet, the “thigh gap” trend, models, and society’s depiction of what is beautiful. As someone who has overcome this phenomenon, I get very concerned about people who are suffering silently.
Eating disorders are very common in American society. There have been many studies on the subject of eating disorders, but few have been focused on adolescent boys. Adolescent is defined...

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... boys, it is a little disappointing. I did still find a lot of eye-opening information through my research for this project and the process made me want to research it further. In the future, someone (not necessarily myself) needs to do research on males with eating disorders. I have a feeling that they have different personality traits than the females who suffer from this form of self-destruction, though my own research would tell me otherwise. I think that maybe they are displayed in different ways than how females display them, because boys are socially trained to hide their emotions. It would be interesting to see the comparison. This project has helped me to open my eyes to the patriarchal society that, one day, my children will have to deal with. That is my motivation for trying to change it, many aspects though not just the encouragement to starve yourself.