Factors That May Contribute to Eating Disorders

It is nearly impossible to open a newspaper or magazine, listen to the radio, shop at a mall or turn on the TV without being confronted with the message that to be fat is to be undesirable (Media Influence 1). A study showed that women experience an average of 13 negative thoughts about their body each day, while ninety-seven percent of women admit to having at least one “I hate my body” moment each day (Media Influence 1). The media portrays “perfect-people” as skinny, desirable people you see in magazines and on television. “Although thin models are not the cause of eating disorders, they can be a trigger or factor in maintain an eating disorder (Pearson, Catherine 1). In other words, if a woman has a predisposition for an eating disorder and spends a lot of time looking at fashion magazines, this can be one of the factors that trigger feeling bad about her body, which she then turns into eating disorder behavior, like excessive dieting (Is the media to blame 1).” The media should not be the blame for a person’s own self esteem problem.

Eating disorders are complex conditions that arise from a combination of long-standing behavioral, biological, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, and social factors (Factors That May Contribute to Eating Disorders 1). Scientists and researchers are still learning about the underlying causes of theses emotionally and physically damaging conditions (Factors That May Contribute to Eating Disorders 1). While eating disorders may first appear to be solely about food and weight preoccupations, those suffering them often try to use food and the control of food to cope with feeling and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming, on the other hand for some, dieting, bingeing and purging may begi...

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