The Globalization Of Eating Disorders

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.

When western culture is spread, it can have adverse effects on those who it reaches. In “The Globalization of Eating Disorders” Susan Bordo attributes the spread of eating disorders to western culture. Specifically, she has noticed that the number of eating disorders has risen in Fiji, Central Africa, and Asia. For example, Central Africans favored plump women before a woman whose beauty conformed to western ideals was the first black African to win the Miss World Pageant (259). This article argues that the dominant culture can be poisonous. Not only does western culture affect how women see their bodies, but it also affects how they see their wits. “When Bright Girls Decide that Math Is ‘a Waste of Time’” by Susan Jacoby claims that girls shy away from scientific and mathematical (STEM) fields because they fear being unattractive by males and the intimidation of male-dominated careers. Women are more likely to major in fine arts, social sciences or education (32). According to Susan Jacoby, girls who decide to cut math and science out of their schedules set limitations on what they are capable of. External influences are to blame for women developing eating disorders and shying away from STEM fields.

Can We Better Understand Eating Disorders, Namely Anorexia Nervosa, Through A Biomedical Model Or By Socio-cultural Analysis?

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.

“Hunger” is an article published in 1989 by social justice activist Maggie Helwig. In this article Helwig discusses the stereotypes behind eating disorders, and gives real life examples of the impacts an eating disorder can have on someone. She is able to incorporate many ideas that smoothly flow together to capture the audience’s attention, while also making the audience consider their thoughts and views on eating disorders. She ends the article by giving insightful information as to what it was like for her to suffer from an eating disorder, and why she chose to starve herself for eight years. Helwig uniquely incorporates logos, pathos, and ethos in her writing to completely gain the audience’s attention and influence their opinions on eating disorders.

It has been found that eating disorders are most common in the western and industrialized culture where food is abundant. This is because these individuals attach a lot of importance to their physical appearance and are willing to do anything to get the dream figure. An eating disorder is not just watching what one eats and exercising on a daily basis but is rather an illness that causes serious disturbances in eating behaviour, such as great and harmful cutback of the consumption of food as well as feelings of serious anxiety about their body shape or mass. They would start to stop themselves to go out anywhere just so that they could work out and burn all of the calories of a meal or snack that they had scoffed earlier. Two of the most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The regular description of a patient with either disease would be a youthful white female, with an upper social standing in a predictably socially competitive environment.

Food. It is essential for survival. Without it, people die. However, oddly enough, many struggle to live without it to accomplish the standards that our culture has created for us. We are taught that being thin is perfection and will lead to a happier life. However, lurking are the health risks that one pays for obtaining the “perfect body”. Still, along with a distorted body image, others struggle with keeping weight down and fall into the diet fads that the world parades. From movies, magazines, and television, the media also sends us messages that being fat is bad and unhealthy while being thin and beautiful is acceptable. The impact of such influences has increased eating disorders in America. These disorders do not

Throughout history, body image has been determined by various factors, one of them being the media. In the article “How Social Media Is a Toxic Mirror,” written by Rachel Simmons, she shares the story of a woman who admits to being afraid of leaving her apartment without putting on makeup. “I don’t get to choose how I’m going to leave my apartment today,” one young woman told me, “If I could, my body would look different. But I cant choose which picture makes my arms look thinner” (Simmons). One word: Fear. The woman fears the opinion of others. She second guesses herself before she steps foot outside her apartment building. It displays the lack of confidence she has towards herself as an individual and the control the media has over her. The author goes on to discuss how teenagers look up to social media by obsessing over how many likes

“The mindset that a person can never be "too rich or too thin" is all too prevalent in society, and it makes it difficult for females to achieve any level of contentment with their physical appearance”(Serdar, "Female Body Image and the Mass Media: Perspectives on How Women Internalize the Ideal Beauty Standard").‘‘The Fat Girl’’ was published in 1977 as part of Dubus’s short story collection Adultery, and Other Choices. It has now become one of his best-known works. Throughout Dubus’s career, many has praised his writing for their eloquent treatment of sensitive topics such as eating disorders. Whether it is known or not, eating disorders are very prevalent in our society. In fact, eating disorders are the most common psychological disorder in our society to date. But why such prevalence now? Well, we can find the answer all around us, in fact, we are being bombarded by imagery every day the effects several eating disorders. Family, friends and society all affect eating disorders prevalence in today’s society. As the reader delves into the short story “The Fat Girl” they can see how Dubus addresses the delicate topic of eating disorders and their contributing factors.

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

Globalization has created a strong tendency for young people around the world to follow a series of norms, generally attributed to Western civilizations, seeking to construct this idealized image of what beauty should be. Popular media, intentionally or not, has managed to successfully disseminate all over the globe. "The Globalization of Eating Disorders" written in 2003 by English professor and feminist philosopher Susan Bordo, makes some strong points that seriously need to be taken into account if we want to identify and subsequently fight to eradicate a variety of psychological problems, which are product from self-image insecurities a person

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.

81) These standards are clearly represented in social media. From accounts on Instagram that encourage things such as thigh gaps, unhealthy fitness standards and sexual encounters, it’s engrained in the brains of young people that they must look like this in order to be successful and desired. This article also discusses the way negative standards are represented through things such as Barbie Dolls, which surrounds young females with unrealistic expectations and creates and idealized standard that is in fact, not ideal. (Carniero, 2013, p. 82) From the standards that are created through today’s social media, it has created it a new subculture and for some people, a new way of life.

Social media plays an immense role in the way that stereotypes about attractiveness is conveyed in regards to body image. As Gerbner and Gross wrote in 1976, the cultivation theory states that high frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid. The subjection to social media can cause an idealistic view amongst young girls and women alike. Among the mechanisms of human agency none is more central or pervasive than beliefs of personal efficacy (Bandura, 1997). This belief that these body types are achievable can lead to females being dissatisfied within their own skin. The result of the discontent can potentially lead to eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction occurs when views of the body are negative and involves a perceived discrepancy between a person 's assessment of their actual and ideal body (Cash and Szymanski, 1995 and Grogan, 2008). It is estimated that approximately 50% of adolescent girls report being unhappy with their bodies (Bearman, Presnell, & Martinez, 2006). Surveys have revealed that the exposure to social media can cause body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms’ and the concept that thin is “beautiful” amongst young girls and women (Botta 1999; Harrison and Hefner 2006; and Stice et al. 1994). With media influence, the question is the strength of the effect, studies indicate the effects are small in scale; they are likely to operate in accordance with particular differences in

“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