"Why dissallow the trendy images of women from being plastered ubiquitously?" one may ask. Banning this perception of women, unhealthily thin, will save the women of this great nation from eating disorders. Our women will be more confident in their own skin and not feel as pressured to live up to this image. We, as people of this land, see this problem but choose not to do anything. The medical care for people with eating disorders is inadequit, and too expensive, as it is. With girls and women trying so hard today, to look like what the media portrays, it is no wonder that our country's health is in a downward spiral. Trying to live up to these unreal expectations can result in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. There is something in the media for everyone. If you like music, there are musicians; if you like movies, there are actors and actresses; and if you like fashion, there are designers and models. Adolesents are in a key time in their life where they are trying to find who they are. Typically a teenager will find a musician, model, actress, etc. who they exalt. Whether they look up to this person for their career or looks, they take note of everything subconsciensly. They will try to find their own identity in their role model. With this in mind, this is a main reason for why the media is so effective in getting inside of, not only teenagers, but a high population of the world's heads. Shows like "America's Next Top Model" acclaim the unhealthily thin body type. In one season particularly, a contestant named Heather had clearly not eaten much and fainted during a music video shoot. This is a show that we are allowing to be viewed by the entire population of the United States, including the population tha... ... middle of paper ... ...Anorexia Nervosa: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, Effects, and Treatment." Helpguide.org. June 2009. HELPGUIDE, Web. 25 Feb 2010. . Hofschire, Linda. "The Media's Role in Enhancing Self-Objectification and Eating Disorders" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Marriott Hotel, San Diego, CA, May 27, 2003 . 2009-05-26 Nishawala, FirMelissast, and FiAndrearst LaVazzanast. "Dying to Be Thin." Medscape (2009): 1-5. Web. 25 Feb 2010. . Creeden, Molly. "The Beauty of Health: Resizing the Sample Size." Condé Nast 10 Feb. 2010: n. pag. Web. 25 Feb 2010. .
"Eating Disorders - Complications of Anorexia." Eating Disorders - Complications of Anorexia. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
"Anorexia Nervosa--Part I." Harvard Mental Health Letter. Feb. 2003: 1-4. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.
The media has created an obsession with perfection through the use of technology by digitally enhancing still and moving images of models, music artists, athletes and actors. From enlarging muscles and breast to erasing wrinkles and slimming waists, airbrushing has been constantly used to influence unobtainable idealistic goals of perfection for our younger generations. We need to correct the media’s warped portrayal of beauty in the minds of our young people through education, because it is helping contribute toward encouraging low self-esteem and low self-worth in our young people. “Many studies have found that exposure to certain stimuli through the media can lead to body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and thin-idealization in certain individuals” (Cohen, 2006, pg 15). These portrayals contribute toward poor body image and eating disorders, which contribute toward self-injury and suicide rates in our younger generations.
Look in the mirror. Do you like what you see? Most of us have come to appreciate ourselves for who we are. While other’s struggle to achieve the perfect body. They strive to be what is depicted in fashion magazines and movies. The never ending obsession to be the perfect size zero. This inevitably can lead to eating disorders. Eating disorders can cause someone to have an unhealthy image of themselves and food is the enemy. In a national survey at the Mclean Hospital in Massachusetts it was estimated that over 9 million people suffer with eating disorders. They can struggle with anorexia, bulimia or binge eating. A study conducted by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders states that most of these diseases start before the age of twenty. Another growing problem in the United States is obesity. Over 60 million Americans suffer from this disease, this according to the American Obesity Association (gale opposing viewpoints: eating disorders 2010).
Media has more of an effect than people realize on how people think about themselves, especially body shape. Social media, television, and magazines all encourage low self esteem regarding body image and eating disorders. The media is a major factor in young boys and girls developing eating disorders; when surrounded by media for hours a day filled with commercials encouraging weight loss and models that are unhealthily skinny, it is inevitable to feel insecure about your body shape and self image and in some cases, results in developing an eating disorder.
One major issue that continues to arise from the influence of media on children in our society is issues with eating disorders. According to National Eating Disorders, 80% of Americans watch television for over three hours daily (Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders). Being exposed to this much media daily exposes young kids and adolescents to skewed ideas of beauty and skewed standards of body image. Children and Adolescents are also constantly exposed to these images through advertising online, on billboards, in magazines, on transportation, etc. The images we see in the media are not even physically possible without the help of photo-shopping. Because of this, many kids and adolescents try to achieve the same appearance and end up developing eating disorders. An ongoing study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood institute shows that 40% of girls 9 and 10 years old have tried to lose weight (Teen Health and Media). Girls ages 9 and 10 years old should not even be remotely worried about their weight, yet being exposed to constant media in today’s society has led to severe body image issues. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated disorders, 8 million people in the US have an eating disorder, 90% of those are women, and they usually begin in teens but may begin as early as 8 years old. (Teen Health and Media). These
Smith, Melinda, and Jeanne Segal. "Anorexia Nervosa." : Signs, Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment. Helpguide.org, Feb. 2014. Web. 8 May 2014.
Eating disorders are a group of conditions characterized by severe disturbances in eating behavior with either an extreme reduction or an extreme increase of food intake, which negatively affects the individual's mental and physical health. There are two main types of eating disorders – anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. There is a third category of eating disorders called “eating disorders not otherwise specified”. Binge eating disorder is categorized under this. Eating disorders mainly appear during adolescence and early adulthood and affect women and girls much more than males. Eating disorders are not self-inflicted diseases, but real illnesses with biological and psychological causes. They often co-exist with other disorders such as depression and substance abuse and can lead to a number of other health complications such as kidney failure, heart problems and even death.
Yancey, Diane. Eating Disorders. Brookfield, Connecticut: Twenty-First Century Books A Division of The Millbrook Press, Inc., 1999.
"Causes of Eating Disorders." Mental Help. N.p., 2 Feb 2007. Web. 20 Feb 2014. .
Ogden, C.L., M.D. Carroll, B.K. Kit, and K.M. Flegal. "Overweight and Obesity in the U.S."
Smith, Melinda, and Jeanne Segal. "Anorexia Nervosa." Signs, Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment. Help Guide, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.
An eating disorder is a serious health condition involving extremely unhealthy dietary habits. There are a number of accepted eating disorder treatments that depend on the symptoms and severity of the illness. The most effective treatments involve both psychological as well as physical issues with the ultimate goal being a healthy dietary lifestyle. The team approach to treatment involves professionals with experience in eating disorders that usually includes a medical provider, mental health workers, registered dieticians and case managers. These individuals work together in hopes of avoiding a life threatening situation.
The media can impact people’s lives in many ways, whether it’s fashion, movies, literature, or hobbies. One of the impacts is how women view their bodies. Movie stars and models feel pressured to catch attention and to look good in order to have a good career in their respective field. People tend to judge how someone looks based on their body composition. The result of this “judgment” is that Hollywood is getting skinny. Since models and actresses serve as role models for people, people tend to want to look like them. The result of this seemingly harmless model of behavior is in an increase in eating disorders.
Murray, F. (1994). Weight Management: The Key to Disease Prevention. Better Nutrition for Today's Living, 56(7), 44.