Susan Bordo The Globalization Of Eating Disorders Summary

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Nowadays everyone seems to be infatuated not only with medicine and health, but also with perfect body images. Susan Bordo presses the issue on how the media has contributed to the increase of eating disorders. When television was first being introduced to homes in the 1950s, the media’s portrayal of “the ideal” body was drastically different than it is today. (Rader) Eating disorders are complex conditions that I do feel media contributes to but they can arise from a variety of potential causes as well. How do we find a common ground? If media outlets aren’t the root or cause of eating disorders, what is and what can we do to prevent them? Susan Bordo explains in her essay “The Globalization of Eating Disorders” how eating and body disorders are becoming an epidemic in society for both women and men today. In Central Africa, traditionally woman with curvier bodies are praised upon “We have hips. We have bums. We have flesh in Africa.” said designer Frank Osodi (Bordo 640) In Nigeria, a curvy woman was sent to compete in the Miss World competition and did poorly in comparison to slender beauties. The next time around they sent a lighter skinned, slender beauty who became the first African American to win the Miss World Pageant. Nigerian teenagers began fasting and dieting so they could become Lepa – a slang word used for the “it” …show more content…

Awareness will help avoid judgmental or mistaken attitudes towards individuals suffering from the disorder. We can help promote a nutritious diet. We need to help educate individuals who may “think” they are fat and look to pursue dieting to try and fix themselves. Diets don’t work, since overeating is not the only cause of excess weight, undereating is not the cure for being overweight. (UW Health) Help promote internally regulated foods; eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full, don’t

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