Persuasive Essay Audience: People age ranging from teenage to middle age. Purpose: To convince audience that media is one of the roots and causes of eating disorder. Subject: Susan Bordo's "The Globalization of Eating Disorder” Body Image As we continue this course of life, we encounter not only problems in physical health, but mental health as well, brought by the negative effects of technology and innovative discoveries by men. Sad to say, such fate is brought by man himself, and we are continuing the same route towards the unbecoming end of self-destructions. One of the most common issues that society faces today are the mental diseases related to eating. Bordo, in her essay, "The Globalization of Eating Disorder," tackles body-image distortion syndromes, because that is how the media lets people perceive its content, and make us believe that media standards are beautiful. It is important to understand that Bordo's essay contains a powerful message regarding the road we are taking with regards to how we …show more content…
Media, as one of the biggest culprits in history, has raised each person's want to become part of the idolized body trend that make every doctors and nutritionists worried, because people become driven by health and medical factors disillusionment in order to possess that perfect body image as shown in media. Body augmentation is being accepted, at a fast rate on some countries, and even though we know what is good and which is okay, we tend to want something more for ourselves and we become discontented. What is it that makes us think that we should always struggle to maintain a slim body? Why is it that we consider slim people are healthier than those who are chubby or have excess fats in their body? This are all road towards eating and body image disorders, and Susan Bordo is all correct when she pointed out that media is one of the culprits to some people developing eating
There are all too many people that look in the mirror and are dissatisfied with the person gazing back at them. Society begins pushing unrealistic standards onto people starting at a very young age. An individual that was once happy with their appearance may now pick themselves apart, frowning at each imperfection their eyes see. In the essay, The Globalization of Eating Disorders, author Susan Bordo shows her audience the effect that social media can have on self-esteem. For example, eating disorders were scarce in the Fiji islands until 1995, when the first television station aired, exposing the people to popular Western aesthetic. Bordo uses ethos, logos, and pathos to depict various body image issues, alongside eating disorders.
She explores the reality of eating disorders, the misconceptions often held behind it, and provides information on various prevailing reasons that lead to them. According to Bordo, eating disorders “have to do not only with new social expectations of women and ambivalence toward their bodies but also with more general anxieties about the body as the source of hungers, needs, and physical vulnerabilities [are] not within our control” (par.5). In addition, as a Professor on Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Kentucky, Bordo is likely familiar with the causes that push women, and even men, to change aspects and features about themselves based on the changing themes and views of society and culture. In consideration then, some people probably develop eating disorders as a result for their correspondence to the current trends of society. Consumer culture is among one of the aspects of society that frequently undergoes change. Bordo builds on this likely candidate and explains how consumer culture is a likely link to eating disorders. She remarks that consumer culture is “continually encouraging us to binge on our desires at the same time as it glamorizes self-discipline and scorns fat as a symbol of laziness and [a] lack of willpower” (par.5). By tying
It is essential to examine the cause of media’s increased influence on self-estem and body dissatisfaction before debating the possible solutions. First of all, as Geissler indicates in the essay, “We live in a fat-fearing and food moralizing culture where magazines, movies, and a multimillion dollar ‘health’ and diet industry all pump out the message ‘thinner is better’.” (330) The ideal of slender
In “Globalization of Eating Disorders“ Susan Bordo accurately uses the concept of globalization to explain the spread of eating disorders across the globe. In Friedman standards, globalization is a system responsible for connecting all types of people at unbelievable speeds. Bordo focuses more on the dominance of the United States. Bordo uses of globalization is very effective in this essay. The example of television in the Fiji island vividly express how influential america is to the world. WIthin 3 years span, cases of eating disorders increased dramatically solely from being exposed to America’s beauty standards through TV. When comparing Bordo’s essay with Friedman’s, the consisty is great. In general, Bordo uses the concept of the globalization
Susan Bordo, in her article, “The Globalization of Eating Disorders,” argues that images of “perfect people,” in media are causing everyone to change the way we see our bodies, which ends up causing eating disorders. She supports this claim by first giving an example of a girl who is on a no-fat diet because of all of the women that are in the media and portrayed as perfect, despite the fact that this girl is at a healthy weight, then she gives an example of an African-American girl and proves that this is happening everywhere in the world and to all races, then she gives an example of Asian countries and how there was no such thing as an eating disorder, but now when most of these countries have been westernized eating disorders have become
The article written by Lisa Lowe refers to globalization as it relates to the United States. This article touched on the transitions which occurred. The shifts from culture in neighborhoods due to migrants arriving. This article also referred to the critiques of globalization. It’s important to know who is against or for this process. As it provides perspective to those who want understand motives behind the negative stance.
In fact, media is contributing to many false advertisements and unrealistic images that cause eating disorders. Media gives us these false beauty standards by making teens think they have to be thin and tall. Meanwhile, many teens want to be like the models and they try to be thin but instead of doing it the healthy way. The way they do it is to skip meals and that develops eating disorders. For instance, Arnett says, “Marketing and advertisement agencies focus on models such as tall, thin women or a muscular man with a chiseled jawbone when casting for photo shoots and television commercial” (265.) Therefore, we experience and seen is that the media do give us a false beauty standard which makes teens want to do everything that is possible to become like models. This has contributed
In longing to reach the norm many people fall victim to these detrimental illnesses. Sadly, women are more subject to these eating disorders than men, the number of men suffering from eating disorders is on the rise. Our culture puts pressure on each of its inhabitants to attain this ideal body type that is unrealistic for most people. The images that pollute television and magazines make us all feel inadequate if we don't meet the credentials of slenderness; therefore, continuing the role of our society in the development of eating disorders.
In the essay “The Globalization of Eating Disorders” by Susan Bordo speaks about eating disorders. In society today appearance is a huge factor. Even though appearance has always been a major thing but now day’s people take it to the extreme when trying to have a certain body image. Now day’s people think beauty is whatever is on the outside, instead of the inside and the outside. Most people go on crazy strict diets, surgery and some go through starvation in order to become a certain body size. Eating disorders are becoming more in effect now and not just in the United States , but happens to be going worldwide and not only with just the women, but now with men as well. Within the essay Bordo’s explains about how the body image, media, and culture influence the standard of the beauty leads to eating disorder. Another factor is family that causes someone to form an eating disorder. Those four factors are the main key roles that play apart on how eating disorders are being used.
In the writing “The Globalization of Eating Disorders” the author, Susan Bordo strongly uses the pathos appeal to influence the emotions of her audience. This writing speaks in detail about the growing issue of eating disorders, that is not only becoming an international issue; but as well I an issue that now affects young men and women alike. The way that this author uses this specific appeal is in a large part with very personal and relatable dialogue, about the sufferings of young adults that are affected by these issues. The author goes as far as to begin the writing, telling the story of a young girl “never fat to begin with, she’s been on a diet for a couple of weeks and has finally reached her goal weight of 115 at 5 to 4 inches… but in her eyes she still looks dumpy” (639). The author goes on to make a point to this narrative, but just the thought of this girl’s unhappy nature with herself, is enough to captivate the audiences’ emotions. The author uses this type of the pathos appeal throughout the rest of the writing to continue influencing the emotions of her audience, as to make her argument stronger.
Therefore, the commendation of such look and shape commercializes unhealthy body image and procreates eating disorders. Unfortunately, at present the commercialism of a perfect body is encountered by almost everyone on everyday basis. The public is bombarded daily with images of glamorously thin women in commercials, on billboards, in movies in magazines and etc?According to Melanie Katzman, a consultant psychologist from New York, the media has actively defined the thin ideal as success and treats the body as a commodity. (Rhona MacDonald, 2001) It is evident that the persistent advocating of the media and the society produced a constant pursuit of thinness, which became a new religion. A study conducted by Harvard researchers has revealed the effect of media and magazines on adolescent girls in high schools. The children were exposed to fashion magazines and television commercials, and a while after were given self-rating surveys. The study found that sixty-nine percent of the girls said that magazine pictures
In her essay, “The Globalization of Eating Disorders,” Susan Bordo informs her audience of the growing trends in eating disorders. Through her argument, Bordo illustrates the cruel identity of body-image distortion syndrome while she searches for a solution to the eating-disorder problem by looking to its birthplace in culture. Making use of several examples and scenarios, facts and statistics, and appeals to pathos and logos to construct her argument, Bordo shows a strong intent on eradicating the growing crisis in a reasonably sound argument.
Eating is an essential part of life, and no one can survive without food. Have you thought about what you consume in a day, or you just can't stop thinking about food? Eating should be pleasantness; conversely, for some people, eating can be torment. The relationship between human and food has always been complicated. The definition of beauty comprehends everything you see in the media, the most powerful influence. It affects the way you view your body progressively, and this is where the seed of eating disorders are planted. This essay will talk about the details of eating disorders, focus on the role that media plays in this issue and discuss recovery.
8. Accessed on: 25/02/13 Title: RCPsych Eating Disorders Section: Statement on the influence of the media on eating disorders. http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/RCPsych%20Eating%20Disorders%20Section%20-%20Statement%20on%20the%20influence%20of%20the%20media%20on%20eating%20disorders.pdf
“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