“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” (Moss). Skinny is beautiful. Bones are perfection; collar bones, prominent ribcage, concave stomach, hip bones and legs that do not touch no matter what position. All of this is achievable because happiness lies in the empty stomach. These are the ideas and ideals that bombard the eating disordered mind. These are the ideas that society projects and then questions why eating disorders are on the rise. Eating disorders were first recognized in the 1960’s and since then have branched out into subsections. Anorexia nervosa in the starving of oneself to be thin. Bulimia is the cycle of binging and purging food in order to lose weight. Binge eating is overeating as a way of comfort. Orthorexia is the extreme obsession with being healthy, and “EDNOS” is a patient who could fall into two or more of these categories. Eating disorders are the primary result of overstimulation of media displaying overly thin women as the ideal; it can be worsened by genetics and social settings. Since 1960 the amount of cases of eating disorders has risen drastically. Since 1960 technology has increased as well. With this new technology social media has become increasingly popular leading to overstimulation of pictures portraying emaciated young women as “perfection” (Salter). Eating disorders are especially prominent in young females; and young minds are often easily influenced by what is normalized to them (Park). When a young brain is opened up to ideas and words that idolize “skinny”, it will undoubtedly become similarly obsessed with “skinny”. Harvard Medical school recently did a study on media’s effects on eating disorders: “Scientists…studying the social influences contributing to eating disorders focuse... ... middle of paper ... ...ders." National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA). N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. Herizons [Winnipeg] Feb. 2008, Vol. 21 No. 3 ed. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. "Kate Moss in Quotations." The Independent. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2014. "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." -Kate Moss Kirkey, Sharon. "When Obestiy-Prevention Programs Backfire." Postmedia News 31 Mar. 2013: n. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. Mankiller, Wilma. "Eating Disorders." The Reader's Companion to Women's History. N.p.: n.p., 1998. N. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. Matthews, Glenna. "Eating Disorders." American Women's History: A Student Companion. N.p.: UP, 2000. N. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. "New Genes Connected to Eating Disorders." Times Health and Family 8 Oct. 2013: n. pag. Times Health and Family. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
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Eating disorders are not caused by a single source, such as control, but are due to an accumulation of factors including genetics, upbringing, culture, and personality.
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Shapiro, C. M. (2012). Eating disorders: Causes, diagnosis, and treatments [Ebrary version]. Retrieved from http://libproxy.utdallas.edu/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/utdallas/Doc?id=10683384&ppg=3
"Obesity." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
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Eating disorders are described as an illness involving eating habits that are irregular and an extreme concern with body image or weight. Eating disorders tend to appear during teenage years, but can develop at any age. Although more common in women, eating disorders can affect any age, gender or race. In the United States, over 20 million women and 10 million men are personally affected by eating disorders. There are many different causes of eating disorders such as low self esteem, societal pressures, sexual abuse and the victims perception of food. Eating disorders are unique to the sufferer and often, their perception of themselves is so skewed, they may not be aware they have an eating disorder. Media, for quite some time now, has played a significant part in eating disorders. Magazines with headlines ‘Summer Body’, or ‘Drop LB’s Fast!’ attract the attention of girls who may be insecure with themselves. Television productions such as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or American’s Next Top Model, show airbrushed and photoshopped women who have body types that may be unachievable. Those who are suffering from eating disorders can suffer dangerous consequences, and it is important to seek help.
The complications that accompany body image have long been an issue in society. Body image is the sense of how an individual views his or her own body as compared to others in society, or what is considered to be the ideal body image. There are many different factors that effect ones body image, but a major influence is the media. The media has long been associated with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where an individual participates in self-starvation, and bulimia is an eating disorder where an individual will eat as much as he or she wishes and then purges the previously eaten food. These are two destructive eating disorders that are associated with a negative body image. This comes to question, does media have an influence on creating a negative body image, which may inherently lead to eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia? Anorexia nervosa and bulimia affect various age groups but is extremely common in adolescence and emerging adulthood. During this stage in an individual’s lifespan there is a lot going on with ones psychological development as well as body. How an adolescent views his or her body image be highly impacted by how the media portrays what the ideal body image is. According to Berger (2015), “as might be expected from a developmental perspective, healthy eating begins with childhood habits and family routines” (p.415). If proper eating habits are not implemented negative body image and eating disorders that are associated with media becomes further predominant in adolescence and emerging adulthood.
Matthews, John R. Library in a Book: Eating Disorders. New York: Facts on File Inc. 1991
Eating disorders are a severe illness that involves critical disturbances in an individual’s eating behavior. The major signs that hint of a crucial eating disorder are your shape, body weight and obsessions with certain foods. A few commonly affected eating disordered are bulimia nervosa, anorexia, and binge-eating disorder. These are all determined on separate eating behaviors, which lead to different symptoms which are all very dysfunctional for the human body. (NIMH, 2016)
We live in a media obsessed world, and we never even notice how much it affects us. Social media is all around us, from magazines to youtube videos. There are tons of pictures, videos, and comments that encourage the mindset that women have to be a size 2 and always look gorgeous. At least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the United States (Hudson). Social media has a very significant influence on women with these disorders.