Eating Disorders and the Media

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Recommended: Body image and self esteem among adolescents

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideals is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females.” (“ANAD”) Body image has been a controversial theme because of the influence of the media. It is a widely known fact that eating disorder cases are on the rise. The concept of body image is a subjective matter. The common phrase, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” holds true meaning in this sense. One’s view and value of their body is self-imposed. Falling into the destructive eating disorders reveals much about a person’s psychological and emotional state. Examining the mental, physical, and emotional conditions behind recognized eating disorders such as anorexia, fasting, and bulimia can shed light on an otherwise taboo subject despite its lamentable budding throughout the younger generations. One of the most notable eating disorders is anorexia due to its alarming increase in cases found within people in the media. “Thanks to television, magazines, movies, and the Internet, rail-thin girls and steroid-built beef-boys are being shoved in the faces of people all over the world.” (McClelland, pg. 98) Susan McClelland, author of the essay “Distorted Images,” places a great amount of responsibility for the spreading of an unhealthy ideal on the media. In recent years, many celebrities have come forward admitting they have suffered some kind of eating disorder during their career and have sought professional help. Still, their mass following of admirers fall prey of an unhealthy ideal body. Anorexia Nervosa develops mainly from a feeling of inadequacy, loneliness, or a lack of control; psychologically, “people with anorexia are often perf... ... middle of paper ... ...com, 04 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. . "EDV - Behavioural Effects - Anorexia." EDV - Behavioural Effects - Anorexia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. . Garfinkel, P. E. (2002). Classification and diagnosis of eating disorders. Eating disorders and obesity: A comprehensive handbook, 2, 155-161. Grogan, S. (2007). Body image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women and children. Routledge. 13 Mar. 2014. "The Eating Disorder Foundation." The Eating Disorder Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. "What Happens to the Body During Fasts." DNews. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. .

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