The Media And Body Image

Many people are unaware of the background of eating disorders. Women are more likely than men to develop an eating disorder and they usually develop in childhood before the age of 20 (Ross-Flanigan 1). Women as well as men can develop an eating disorder; it is just more likely for a woman to develop one. Eating disorders are usually developed in adolescent or childhood years when a person is influenced the most. Also “Eating disorders are psychological conditions that involve overeating, voluntary starvation, or both. Anorexia nervosa, anorexic bulimia, and binge eating are the most well-known types of eating disorders” (Ross-Flanigan 1). Many people assume that an eating disorder is when a person staves themselves; they do not realize that it can involve overeating as well. Some eating disorders also involve purging, but not all. People with an eating disorder fear gaining weight even when they are severely underweight. They do not lack an appetite (Ross-Flanigan 1). These people are

In the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life (“Get The Facts on Eating Disorders,” NEDA). This is in the United States alone. Imagine how many people are affected by eating disorders in the world. Even Though there is a plethora of people with eating disorders, many people don’t speak out and if they ever do it may be too late. Eating disorders can kill you and affect other factors of your health so it is important to find help. Although eating disorders are crucial, scientists, school, etc are trying to help people suffering and prevent others from having an eating disorder.

Eating disorder is the abnormal eating behavior that would negatively impact one’s health, emotions and ability to function in important areas of life. Eating disorders include several categories: binge eating disorder, which means people eat large amount in a short period, anorexia nervosa which people eat very little, bulimia nervosa which people eat a lot and then try to rid themselves of food, pica which people eat non-food items, rumination disorder means people regurgitate food, avoidant food intake means that people have a lack of interest in food, and other specified eating disorders (ANAD). There is believed to be no single cause for eating disorders, as all the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors contribute to this illness. Studies have shown that specific chromosomes may be associated with bulimia and anorexia (NY times). Eating disorders may also be caused by imbalance of serotonin and dopamine which explain why people who have anorexia

At present, these eating disorders have an effect on roughly 25 million Americans, of which almost 25% are of the male gender. Out of all the psychological disorders, anorexia has the highest mortality rate. The whys and wherefores include malnourishment, substance abuse and reckless suicides. Eating disorders can happen to anyone; no matter whether they’re male or female, rich or poor, old or young. According to many researchers, eating disorders are caused by more than just food. There are numerous

Overview of Main Points: Today I will talk about what eating disorders are and there causes, the three main types of eating disorders and the statistics associated with them, and lastly, the treatment for eating disorders.

There are no questions to whether the media has influenced the self-consciousness people have on their body or not. Whether it is the front of a magazine cover or in a film or television show, the selection of models or actors are primarily thin or fit leading readers and viewers to worry or want to change the way their body looks. Body image is the way one sees oneself and imagine how one looks. Having a positive body image means that most of the time someone sees themselves accurately, and feels comfortable in their body; negative body image, what the media exemplifies for the majority of the time, is just the opposite. The media uses unrealistic standards of beauty and bodily perfection to drive ordinary people to be dissatisfied with their body image which can result in the search to obtain these unreachable goals.

A very prominent and controversial issue related to media-idealized images is that of eating disorders and eating problems. Eating problems include binge eating, purging, and unhealthy eating problems. These disorders are seen in young adolescents who are at a very fragile stage of life. Teenagers experience bodily changes as well as peer pressure and new experiences of going into high school. According to Dakanalis et al. the media portrays individuals with an extremely thin build for females and a slim-muscular build (i.e., muscles along with minimal body fat) for males is considered to be the cause of body displeasure and eating pathology. There is no solid evidence to prove that the media is to blame for the degree of eating disorder symptoms and negative body-image feelings that many feel, hence the reason it continues to be a highly debated topic. There has although, been continuous research and theories comprised over objectification. This occurs when men and women are sexually objectified. A person is treated as a body, where beauty and attractiveness of a person are important and valued. This theory can be found nearly anywhere because of the amount and variety of social interaction. It is common because of the way media represents body images. The media has ideals of men and women’s body images and individuals are compared to how well

The authors who agree that media play the central role in creating body dissatisfaction—including Ketchum, Lowery, and Collins—discuss the influence of media in its audience. One idea that Ketchum brings to the table is how media constructs its content to attract the audience. Ketchum states, “There is explicit advice, in both advertising and programming, about how the viewer can realize the commodity fantasies, they invite the viewers to actually come visit the places and realize the fantasies

Eating Disorders affect over ninety percent of our population today. Yearly, they affect around nine million adults alone. Since it has such a widespread grasp it makes eating disorders the most silent killer of all psychological diseases. The psychological distortion behind it though is considered to be one of the most shrouded in mystery compared to other diseases rooted in mental instability.

Mental health is a big part of obesity many children are suffering from disorders like depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and even suicide attempts. With the way media portrays body image today it is hard for a child to not get discouraged. Women in magizes are photo shopped and air brushed to look as skinny as possible, men are photo shopped and air brushed to look toned and fit. Young men, women and children look at these photos and see an unrealistic person. With that they set unrealistic goals and end up harming themselves in the end. By forming eating disorders and mental disorders, eating disorders by trying to archive a body type that is not real and mental disorders by looking at the results of not having that body type. Children

According to recent research, tremendous exposure to media has a negative impact on consumers and their health, as well as their body image. The ideal body image that is seen by today’s society is tall, thin, muscular, and fit. It is constantly advertised in various forms of media including, televisions, magazines, internet, and smartphone devices, which can make some people feel insecure about appearance and health. The constant reinforcement of the ideal body image throughout the media negatively impacts society through self-esteem, rise of self-enhancements, and health. There are many different factors that play a role in obtaining the ideal body image that meets the society’s norm.

The media damages the minds of our youth. The Medias negative images are strongly linked to Anorexia and Bulimia both of which are life-threatening eating disorders causing the sufferer to desire to be thinner. Anorexia causes the patient to deliberately lose weight by refusing to eat, and bulimia is a disease which causes the patient to purge their food up, causing them to vomit. Doctors have proved there is a direct link between these eating disorders and the unrealistic photos produced by the media, which cause young girls and boys to aspire to be more like them. It is outrageous that we live in a society where we are brought up with the media having such a strong hold on us, telling us that females should be tall, thin, have perfect skin and teeth and that males should be

Joseph and M. Shiffrar, “eating disorders are syndromes characterized by severe disturbances in eating and excessive concern about body shape or weight” (2011). These are induced by a “complex interaction” of genetic, behavioral, psychological, and social factors as assessed by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). As previously stated, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most prominent and preferred disorders.

Hoffman states, “In trying to understand the causes of eating disorders, scientists have studied the personalities, genetics, environments, and biochemistry of people with these illnesses. As is often the case, the more that is learned, the more complex the roots of eating disorders appear.”

As the number of adolescents who are constantly exposed to mass media increases so does the amount of adolescents with body image issues. Coincidentally, these two factors go hand in hand. In previous years, television and magazines had a pronounced effect in the way growing adolescents viewed themselves, however with the increasing amount of usage of social media platforms this has gradually shifted (Holland and Tiggemann, 2016). Although there has been a shift in the influence of mass media, the effects of mass media such as television and magazines still widely influence body image in adolescent. Body image is the way a person a person feels, thinks, and perceives their body ( Holland and Tiggemann, 2016). The increasing difficulty of accepting one’s body has been given the term body dissatisfaction. Individuals who experience this have a negative view of themselves and more often than not has a deviation in the way they believe their ideal body to be. A majority of this is due to the unrealistic image Western society paints as the ideal body. The way women are portrayed has played an immense large role on the way social media promotes women. Research conducted by Holland and Tiggemann showed that due to the incessant portrayal of women in today’s media as slender and having low body fat, children and adolescent alike yearn to be like the women depicted, so much so, “Women make frequent comparisons, they are often unintentional and automatic” (42). They have developed