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Globalization of eating disorders
How socio cultural factors are related to eating disorder
Globalization of eating disorders
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Title “The Globalization of Eating Disorders” written by Susan Bordo describes the foundation of eating disorders from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, including males. Bordo describes that eating disorders are becoming a more of a current issue, than ever. Stemming from western media images that are now readily available to access from anywhere in the world. As an entire society, we cannot continue to allow younger generations to be susceptible to developing eating disorders. By first addressing that eating disorders have been an ongoing problem that will inevitably spiral out of control worldwide. Afterward can attempt to discover strategies of how to effectively handle this epidemic, before we lose more people to this terrible tragedy. Furthermore, by solving the problem of eating and body disorders due to media …show more content…
The girl was on a no-fat diet and finally reached her goal weight of one hundred and fifteen pounds. Her goal was to look like the women from the “Lady Marmalade” music video. Then she changes the direction, asking the audience what they had pictured, in turn taking the subject of eating and body disorders to other parts of the world. Showing that it doesn’t only affect Americans, it affects the whole world. Bordo addresses the question of how these images have such a huge impact on the younger generations. From youthful people who just want to fit in, to people of a different color, that is unacceptable in the eyes of western media images. The ultimate desire is to be normal and beautiful, to the extent that eating disorders are tolerable. “Little fatty” used to be a term of endearment for children in China, and now it has become a demeaning slur. By incorporating this appeal to the reader, the author is trying to persuade families that images are having a negative effect on
In the article, “Too ‘Close to the Bone’: The Historical Context for Women’s Obsession with Slenderness,” Roberta Seid goes in depth on the emotionally straining and life altering trials women take on to try to portray society’s “ideal” body over time. She delves far into the past, exposing our culture’s ideal body image and the changes it has gone through over time. The article brings to light the struggles of striving to be the perfect woman with the model body. On the other hand, in the article “Rethinking Weight”, author Amanda Spake, details the many differing views of obesity. Spake voices her opinion on the idea that being overweight, and not losing weight, is caused by laziness. “Too Close to the Bone” and “Rethinking Weight” both deliberate about weight issues that are
National Eating Disorder Association (2006). The media, body image, and eating disorders. Retrieved October 11, 2008, from http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
The advent of the 2000s brought with it a new generation of youth unlike anything Western culture has seen before. In the beginning, no one noticed any change from the 90s to the early 2000s, and the societal purview seemed untouched. Kids could still be fat and cute simultaneously and no one questioned how such a thing was possible. Yet, in reality, the western culture had plans to cast about a plague that would make Old Testament devotees blush—or, at least according to essayist Susan Bordo, author of “The Globalization of Eating Disorders.” In her essay, Bordo approaches her audience with a grim scenario: humankind can only stop the spread of eating disorders until we become aware of its
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Eating disorders are serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, emotions and ability to function in important areas of life.” In Michael Pollan’s article “Our National Eating Disorder” he argues that America as a whole has an eating disorder. His claim is supported with multiple pieces of evidence and I believe they are true. Looking deeper, Pollan’s arguments are that America’s eating habits negatively affect our health, emotions and, ability to function in important areas of life.
In “Hunger as Ideology” by Susan Bordo, she divulges into the concept of eating habits, uncovering both past and present societal norms, and what is expected of our future generation. This ideology that there needs to be a standard in terms of body images creates a societal problem of envy, preconceived notions, and discrimination. One of the most distasteful things in our society is the training of children at a young age to live a life with a certain body image in mind. As Bordo opens up, she begins with a television advertisement displaying two French girls “they are exquisite little girls, flawless and innocent and the scene emphasize both their youth and the nature sense of style often associated with French women,” (Schor, Holt, 2000, p.99). as one of the girls take notice of the others mother the conversation ensues ““Your mother is so slim, so beautiful! Does she eat?” the daughter, giggling replies: “silly, just not so much.” “Are you jealous?” “Not if I know her secrets.”” (Schor, Holt, 2000, p.99). This advertisement instills false images to children’s especially young girls, who must watch their weight in order to lead a life of success, in order to be a trophy wife in some retro sense. Through these advertisements promoting the use of diet pills, women watching their weight, the feeling of looking like the model, are not only selling a product but installing a set of behavior, one that grows and becomes planted in the consciousness of every child’s
She starts off with an imaginary scenario in which the readers probably imagined a young white female to be in the situation and not a girl of different ethnicity. She goes on to explain how in some cultures, that have not been exposed to western media, prize women who are big because it was a sign of healthiness and how that women had food to eat. Bordo uses many cultures as examples to show how being exposed to media has influenced young girls tremendously. One of the examples Bordo uses is in Central Africa where a skinny body was connected with someone having AIDS and where if the bride wasn’t big enough for her wedding she was sent to a fattening farm. When the area was exposed to television shows that viewed women as skinny and beautiful the percentage of girls forming eating disorders to stay skinny had grown by a lot. Bordo goes on to talk about why these images are so powerful, that the images these girls are looking at, are viewed as normal by the “dominant culture” and that’s why girls try to look that way to be accepted as “normal”.
From this information it is clear that more research should be done on eating disorders in non-Western societies because women in those cultures do, in fact, suffer from poor body image and low self-esteem. Special focus could be placed on binge-eating in cultures where overeating is a natural part of life and overweight women are viewed as attractive. It is in these cultures that women feel torn between their traditions and the Westernized perception of beauty they are experience more.
Soh, N., & Walter, G. (2013). Publications on cross-cultural aspects of eating disorders. Journal of Eating Disorders , 1(4), doi: 10.1186/2050-2974-1-4
In this Golden age of humanity with technology at the fingertips of mankind and world wide global awareness, it's hard to imagine from the comfort of well lit homes, a large population of the human race lives without fresh water and a nourishing daily meal. In the United States of America it has been said of an over abundance of food, though many of the citizens are forced to consume highly processed ready made meals in order to survive due to poverty. These meals are high in fat, sodium and of course, calorie, leaving the consumer with extra weight. This leads to the image of "'merica" with over weight men and women on scooters. While some of this is actually a result of poor self control or a medical issue, many can attribute it to having a very low income and the substance affordable is akin to garage. "Big" a book by some author, chronicles a young women who is very overweight by the design of her home environment. Her mother is disabled, obese and living off the government. She gets a job, goes to fat camp and learns why she can never loose weight. With all of this in mind, not to mention the idolization of stick thin models and actors, its not hard to figure out what the mind of an adolescent will conclude. Weight equals prosperity; being heavy is unsuccessful and ugly, whist-while bones and tight skin stretched over cranium is attractive and desirable. This of course calls Eating disorders to mind; Anorexia nervosa, Blumina, and EDNOS (eating disorder not diagnosed).
(Thesis Statement)Eating disorders are something that are very common among all people. However, they are not often talked about or understood and this is something we need to fix as a society.
Sociocultural standards of feminine beauty are presented in almost all forms of popular media, revealing women with images that portray for what is considered to be the "ideal body." Such beauty standards for most women are completely unattainable; what is seen on TV Is another story, majority of models are considered to be well below what is known as a healthy weight. Media conveys a practical message using models that are not considered to be healthy and stating that in order for a woman to be considered beautiful, she must be unhealthy, or “thin.” The mindset in today’s society for many women is that you need to be thin, which is all too predominant and for females it makes it more difficult to achieve any level of serenity of their physical appearance. In the American culture, the “ideal body” for a female is represented very negatively, as it has dramatically changed. The number of people who are thin is starting to be the minority, while the people who are overweight/obese is going to other way and is the majority. Andre Dubus, the author of the short story "The Fat Girl," demonstrates each of these traditional behaviors towards the overweight main character, Louise.
“The attention-grabbing pictures of various high-flying supermodels and actors on different magazine covers and advertisements go a long way in influencing our choices” (Bagley). The media is highly affective to everyone, although they promote an improper image of living. Research proved says those with low self-esteem are most influenced by media. Media is not the only culprit behind eating disorders. However, that does not mean that they have no part in eating disorders. Media is omnipresent and challenging it can halt the constant pressure on people to be perfect (Bagley). Socio-cultural influences, like the false images of thin women have been researched to distort eating and cause un-satisfaction of an individual’s body. However, it is clear that, although virtually all women are exposed to these socio-cultural influences, only a very small proportion develop clinical eating disorders (Mazzeo and Bulik). Every article believes that socio-culture have an impact on eating disorders. Although, researchers believe that is not the only reason, and the easiest statement to make. Eating disorders are far more complicated than it just being blamed on the media. Bagley, Mazzeo and Bulik all state that media play a role in the development but are not the main reason to developing an eating disorder. In all of the research done thus far media is a part of eating disorders, but not the only culprit.
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.
Ninety percent of the eating disorder cases occur in women ages twelve to twenty-five and many researchers believe the media is to blame. Though there is no single cause of an eating disorder, multiple studies cause an eating disorders to the media. With being vulnerable to the “thin ideal” in mass media, there is an increased risk of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. (“Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders”)
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness; 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders and only 1 in 10 of those 24 million are treated (ANAD). Eating disorders do not discriminate; all ages, genders, ethnicities and races can be victim to this mental illness. It’s important to be aware of the impact eating disorders have on societies across the globe and how the media plays a role if we want to fight the source and promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. I’ve known many people in my life who have some sort of eating disorder, whether it’s anorexia(not eating enough), binge eating(eating large amounts of food rapidly), bulimia (throwing up their food) or just struggling with an unsatisfying self-image. Becoming aware of eating disorders and how they are developed is important to me because in a perfect world, I would like to see this illness become less common or diminished completely among those that I love and anyone else in today’s society. Eating disorders hit home for many people, including myself. Raising awareness may decrease the rate of eating disorders by informing the population of the harm this illness causes and hopefully promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. With the 3 theoretical approaches used by sociologists, Eating disorders can be understood which will better inform society on how to raise awareness, prevent this illness and help those who suffer from eating disorders.