Anorexia Nervosa Fashion Model

Dr. Levenkron talks about Anorexia Nervosa as a pathological distortion of today’s society of being “Fashion-model thin.” This source is reliable because it is told from a doctor's/psychotherapists perspective of the disease. It informs and broadens my research on the pathological aspect of the disease. Dr. Steven Levenkron uses case studies and specific strategies to explain and help cure the disease.

It is apparent that with the increasing popularity of social media today, there has been a shift in dietary changes within our society. Individuals are subconsciously changing how and what they eat. The question arises, why are so many young women dissatisfied with their bodies, despite their size? Although there are several forces believed to play a role in this dissatisfaction such as peer criticism and parental influences, the thin-ideal body is dominating the media (Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008). Thinness is largely emphasized and praised for women in magazines, television shows, movies and commercials (Stice & Shaw, 1992). Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that stems from this ubiquitous obsession to be thin and is often associated with a pathological fear of gaining weight, distorted self-body image and emaciation (The American Heritage® Science Dictionary).

Beauty standards in the media are one of many reasons feeding and eating disorders are a rising problem. The unrealistic body types of being extremely thin, in pop culture, are influential factors for many teens, especially teen girls. According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), anorexia nervosa is a “restriction of energy intake, intense fear of gaining weight, and a disturbance in the perception of one’s body size” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals diagnosed with anorexia tend to place a high value on their shape and weight, which can interfere with their daily lives. Individuals diagnosed tend to view of their body shape in a distorted representation. The motivation to become

Unrealistic body images in our society are one of the main causes of anorexia. Society puts an immense emphasis on an ultra skinny and fit-looking body, tying looking slim to being successful and happy. However, this body image is impossible to achieve and is quixotic. Because of the impossibility of society’s body image, girls start starving themselves to get society’s “‘ideal figure”’ (Acadia Healthcare). People are told that if one works hard enough, they can have this body, too (Time Inc). According to an online source,

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideals is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females.” (“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, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” holds true meaning in this sense. One’s view and value of their body is self-imposed. Falling into the destructive eating disorders reveals much about a person’s psychological and emotional state. Examining the mental, physical, and emotional conditions behind recognized eating

In Jonathon Raders article, “Does the media cause eating disorders?”, he argues that eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia, include a high mortality rate, higher rate than any other illness. The author claims that 69% of girls say that that photo shopped magazine pictures influence the perfect body shape to them. Rader also points out that the mannequins and models are growing thinner, even the plus size models are shrinking in sizes. The runway models are beginning to meet the body mass for anorexia, which, he argues, is a very unhealthy BMI level. The author also

According to the article entitled, The Fashion Industry May Be Linked to Poor Body Image and Eating Disorders, psychologists and eating disorder experts say the fashion industry has gone too far in pushing thin image ideals on women and young girls. Professor of psychiatry at Rush Medical College in Chicago and Vice President of the American Psychiatric Association states “we know seeing super-thin models can play a role in causing anorexia.” This article argues that the common thin, sexy ideal in our culture and society has caused many women and girls to dislike their bodies and have poor self image, a body dissatisfaction that can lead to unhealthy weight control behaviors and

In “The Fashion Industry Should Not Be Held Responsible for Eating Disorders” Lisa Hilton write about how the fashion industry has no impact on eating disorders. Hilton discusses how the fashion industry ultimately does not care about looks, that they care more about profits. She believes that since the models get all their talents from nature and that they make a lot of money, that they don’t get victimized. Hilton believes that anorexia and bulimia, although being bad conditions, are not as prevalent as the barrage of attention it actually attracts. She uses The South Carolina Department of Mental Health to claim that obesity, which affects 34% women in America alone, is much more prevalent than Anorexia which only affects 0.5% of women in

This can be catastrophic for some women. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness (Mirasol, NP). A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) reported the following eating disorder statistics: 5-10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease and 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years. The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15-24 years old. Without treatment, up to 20% of people with serious eating disorders die. With treatment, the mortality rate falls to 2-3%. Because of these statistics, women need a better image of themselves. The unrealistic images of celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, or other models must be banned. The media should show the natural, pure body of cellulite, stretch marks, giggly stomaches and

Long slender legs, slim figure and size zero hips , that stunning runway model on America’s Next Top Model is the motivation for staying in shape. Appallingly, this motivation is the primary cause of life threatening eating disorders in our young women today. According to a research, 95 % of those suffering from eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25, the primary audience of Fashion modeling television shows. 70% of girls from grades 5 to 12 say magazine images of fashion models influence their ideals of perfect body. Fashion Modeling Industry has been the most influential source in our young women’s lives. Young girls and young women are seen eating as little as they can, even starving themselves at times to stay fit. Susan

Anxiety, stress, and depression are merely a smidge off the surface of anorexia nervosa. Upon researching Anorexia, a compelling ad for anti-anorexia appeared. It stated, “You are not a sketch. Say no to anorexia,” and in this ad, it displays an image of a model in a fashion design sketch and an image of an “authentic” model right beside it. The sketched model consists of overstressed proportions and extended lines typical of fashion illustration. The “actual” models are illustrated with the same meticulous proportions. Even though the models have been painted to impersonate the idealistic sketches, it’s petrifying how intently they resemble authentic models seen every season at Fashion Week. Arizona State University recently published research that revealed that women are more observant to guilt-inducing advertising messages about weight than they do to the judgments of their peers, even when those peers do not deem them obese. The fashion business is predominantly the leading cause, as it habitually uses under-age girls as models for clothing intended for adults. While those girls may merely be slim and not anorexic due to their youth, it subconsciously influences anorexic adults to replicate those appearances when purchasing items off the rack. Anorexia is a form of punishment, but within the community, it is thought of as a lifestyle and the only penalty is set into motion if

Through out time, the fashion industry has highlighted an ultra-thin physique and has come to play a huge role in the occurrence of Anorexia. In the 1960’s, models such as Twiggy were the first to be thin. However, many models remained natural looking. In the 1980’s Amazonian models were common and the 1990’s brought the heroin chic ito style. Today, models weigh twenty percent less than they did a few decades ago. In some places, models have been forced to have a BMI of eighteen, which is still low; however, many places continue to use overly skinny women in advertisements and fashion.Often, models have developed an eating disorder because it was seemingly essential to their career. Some models have even starved themselves to death. The Fashion Industry has had an undeniably great influence on Anorexia. Hollywood actresses are praised for their diets and workout regimen, advertisers promote diet products, and unnatural looking actresses. Christy Greenleaf is quoted as saying, “Research demonstrates that poor body image and disordered eating attitudes are associated with internalizing the mediated bodies that dominate the fashion industry” (Schwarz). Thus, the industry is not only producing diet products but also women willing to go to any length to lose weight.

AN (Anorexia Nervosa) is the most visible eating disorder, is a serious psychiatric illness characterized by an inability to maintain a normal healthy body weight or, in individuals who are still growing, despite increasing weight loss and frank emancipation, individuals with AN strive for additional weight loss, see themselves as fat even when they are severely underweight, and often engaged in unhealthy weight loss behaviors (e.g. purging, dieting, excessive exercise, and fasting). (Bulk, Trace, Kleiman and Mazzeo, 2014). AN not only has harmful physical side effects but has psychological impacts as well. According to Serpell, Treasure, Teasdale and Sullivan (1998), one of the most interesting features of anorexia nervosa which sets it apart from many other conditions is highly valued in nature of anorexic symptoms.

Young girls that look up to models have a warped sense of beauty as the models are heavily photo shopped along with being far too thin to be considered healthy. Some other possible factors for developing anorexia “…range from genetic predisposition to advertising, peer pressure, the need and wish to be perfect and much more” (Schwartz, 2011). The need to be perfect can be a major cause for not only developing an eating disorder but also to develop other mental illnesses such as depression. The symptoms of anorexia “… are ultimate attempts to cope with seemingly unmanageable emotions by achieving perfectionism and control” (“Anorexia symptoms and effects”). Some reasons why people do slowly starve themselves and develop anorexia is because

With the emphasis on the human’s exterior body, especially in females, the unrealistic and unfeasible beauty standards, such as the thigh gap, as well as standards set by models, is the primary cause for the rise of anorexia and malnutrition, as well as insecurities about their bodies.7 From a research from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, ninety-five percent of those with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25, and this is primarily fuelled by the desire to achieve unfeasible societal standards of attraction. The depiction of beauty all across media is the underlying factor contributing to this phenomenon of mental disorders fuelled by the desire of societal