Essay on Eating Disorders and the Media - 6828 Words

Eating Disorders and the Media Doctors annually diagnose millions of Americans with eating disorders. Of those diagnosed, ninety percent are women. Most of these women have one of the two most common types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (National Council on Eating Disorders, 2004). People with anorexia nervosa experience heart muscle shrinkage along with slow and irregular heartbeats and eventually heart failure. Along with their heart, their kidney, digestive system and muscles often fail them. The mortality rate of anorexia is twenty percent, which is the highest of any psychiatric disorder. People with bulimia nervosa experience erosion of their teeth, irritation and rips in their throat, stomach,†¦show more content†¦Using this research as a basis, I held a focus group with six high school girls who watched the critically-acclaimed documentary by Jean Kilbourne entitled Still Killing Us Softly. After watching the documentary, this group of girls came to understand the harmful effects of media exposure on adolescents. This is a tremendous step in overcoming the development of eating disorders. Teaching adolescents about messages in media is different from what scholars have suggested for preventing eating disorders over the last several decades (Bennett et. al., 2001). Finally, I discuss the implications of my findings. DISORDERED EATING AND THE MEDIA Scholars have continuously tried to understand why people develop eating disorders. Many have tested and proven one prerequisite for certain: having a damaging, negative, self-image (Fisher et. al., 2003; Button, Loan, Davies Barke 1997; Cervera et. al., 2002; Thomas, James Bachmann, 2000; O’Dea Abraham, 2000). Other scholars have looked at how media interacts with these feelings of negative body image to produce females who harm their bodies in order to be thin (Berel Irving, 2001; Busselle, 2001; Gettman Roberts, 2004; Hargreaves Tiggemann, 2003; Hendriks, 2002; Kilbourne, 2000; Leung Kwork Yan, Prendergast, Prendergast, 2002; Posavac, Posavac, Weigel, 2001; Slater Tiggemann, 2004; Strice Thompson, 2001; Thomsen, 2002). Media conveys sociocultural pressures and ideals ofShow MoreRelatedEating Disorders And The Media799 Words   |  4 Pages Eating Disorders and Their Relationship to Images in the Media: Anorexia and Bulimia People around the world are suffering from different eating disorders. Some people simply can’t stop eating which causes overweight. Others, controversially, don’t eat at all causing themselves to end up with hardly treatable eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Such eating disorders are mainly caused by the mass media including advertisements, magazines television and internet. In today s existenceRead MoreMedia Eating Disorders1607 Words   |  7 Pagesreview is to describe the main causes of eating disorders among teenagers aged 12 to 18 years old in high schools globally, and to also explain to what extend do some of these causes influence eating disoders. Recent studies have indicated a major increase in the eating disorder habits and body dissatisfaction in adolescence over the past few decades. This crisis seems most prevalent in females`` than males with 20 percent high school females exhibiting poor eating habits and about 60 percent undergoneRead Mo reEating Disorders and the Media941 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, â€Å"the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideals is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females.† (â€Å"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, â€Å"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,† holds true meaning in this sense. One’sRead MoreEating Disorders And The Media3374 Words   |  14 PagesEating Disorders and the Media Eating disorders have become a major problem throughout the world, specifically in the United States. The key factor that has an influence on eating disorders is the media. Including people of all ages and genders, up to twenty-four million people suffer from an eating disorder in the United States (ANAD np). This is a huge problem in the world today but what makes it so much worse is the fact that it can be prevented and it is in our control to change it. Young adultsRead MoreMedia Is The Blame For Eating Disorders844 Words   |  4 Pagesfacebook, snapchat. Today’s media has dominated the way young women see themselves. Young women are constantly comparing themselves to Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, or even their best friend. b. Relevance statement: i. Many people can relate to media being the blame for eating disorders because they’ve either dealt with this or know someone who has had an eating disorder due to what the media says you should look like. c. Thesis statement: i. When thinking of how the media can manipulate your ideaRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Eating Disorders1034 Words   |  5 Pagesmeal will be. This being said, an estimated 70 million people worldwide suffer from some sort of eating disorders as of 2015 with 30 million being made up of Americans. Eating Disorders can be defined as any eating habit that negatively affects ones overall health. Media has had a large impact on how both males and females see their bodies. A majority of the people who suffer from eating disorders are young adults and teenagers. This can be linked to the pressure put on them to have what societyRead MoreEating Disorders and the Media Essay1287 Words   |  6 PagesEating Disorders and the Media American writer Allen Ginsberg once said: Whoever controls the media-the images-controls the culture. Nothing could be truer, the media has always influenced fashion and body shape. But whats remarkable now is how much the media affects body image, and how willing and eager people are to mess with Mother Nature. (Underwood, par.2) Although there are other factors that contribute to eating disorders the media can partially be blamed for the millions of peopleRead MoreEssay on Eating Disorders and the Media2815 Words   |  12 PagesEating Disorders and the Media Question: How does the media alter the perceptions of adolescents body image? How does this exposure to the ideal body lead adolescents to develop eating disorders? Hypothesis: Media exposure creates an ideal body image that is not easily maintained by most adolescents and causes adolescents to be dissatisfied with their bodies and leads to unhealthy diet habits and other more sever eating disorders. Logic of Study: What if the media was limitedRead MoreMedias Influence On Eating Disorders1767 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"Dying to be Perfect†: Medias’ Influence on Eating Disorders Poet Allen Ginsberg once said that â€Å"whoever controls the media-the images-controls the culture†, and nothing could be truer than this. Media plays a larger role in society within this generation more than many of us are aware of. It can easily impact people’s lives through aspects such as sports, fashion, movies or hobbies, but unfortunately, one of these impacts is how we view our body. Media constantly posts images and messagesRead MoreThe Media Is Responsible For The Increase Of Eating Disorders1452 Words   |  6 Pagesdemonstrate different viewpoints on how the media plays a role in today’s era. My research will study the influence of media on eating behaviors and the significant studies regarding this topic. My paper will also cover the outcomes of media portraying unhealthy body images, weight loss ads, and the influence of the internet encouraging eating disorders. Based on the research, it can be clear that the media is responsible for the increa se of eating disorders in today’s society. Therefore, it is important