Eating Disorders : The Media 's Ideal Body Image

     Plato once said, "We behold beauty in the eye of the mind...." What some people consider beauty others may not. From the actresses that are shown on television, movies, models that are in magazines, and the pop stars that create hip and modern music videos, one could be under the impression that to be beautiful you must thin. Actresses such as Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Michelle Gheller, Clarista Flockheart, Courtney Cox and Debra Messing all have staring roles in their own television shows and are all extremely thin. The audiences of these shows being mostly women and adolescent girls, what kind of message about body image are they sending out?

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 adults look to these celebrities, which are often their role models, and try to look just like them. What they fail to remember is the fact that celebrities have a lot of money, money that can afford nutritionists and personal trainers. They also fail to remember the extensive measures the celebrities may have to go through to look the way they do. An example of extensive measures can be considered plastic surgery. Ultimately, this creates a false goal that is almost unattainable for the “average” or “regular” person. Overall, the media has overtaken a huge impact on what the “ideal” body image has become today. Eating disorders are still on the rise and it is proven that an eating disorder such as anorexia affects up to 5 percent of women from ages 15-30 years old ("Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association np"). This may not seem that significant but it is also not considering other eating disorders such as bulimia. All in all, eating disorders

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

A study was recently done to determine how body image was viewed in society several years ago and how it is viewed in today’s society. When comparing the average model and the American woman, it is stated by Dr. Jonathon Rader, PhD, chief executive and clinical officer of Rader Programs that “twenty years ago, the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less” (Rader). Twenty to thirty years ago, full figured women were accepted and also admired. Being voluptuous was a sign of wealth and beauty. Women were not obsessed with diet fads, or trying to look a certain way, but were more concerned with eating healthy and were comfortable with the

Three Eating Disorders that will be discussed throughout the rest of this review will include, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. The DSM_IV_TR describes the conditions under which these three eating disorders are characterized. Anorexia Nervosa is a very serious illness with severe implications in regards to health. It is classified by the DSM-IV-TR as weighing less than the third percentile for body mass index for ones age and sex, fearing weight gain, having a disturbed perception of body image and on hormonal contraception or the absence of menstruation (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Bulimia Nervosa is a second eating disorder described by the

In America, the words “beautiful”, “fit”, and “thin” are often used to describe someone that has the ideal “perfect” body, everyone’s perception of it can vary and about half of the population has the body that many people adore or aim to have. However, not everyone has or can achieve the ideal body type, some people will go to extreme measures to either gain or lose weight just to feel accepted in today’s society. These dangerous actions can result in a person developing an eating disorder that can alter their lives both physically and mentally. “An eating disorder is an illness that can be defined as having irregular or abnormal eating habits while being concerned about body weight or shape”

Even though eating disorders are less prevalent in society today than they have been in the past, they are still one of the most diagnosed mental illnesses today. These three illnesses have short term as well as long term effects that can leave a damaging toll on the patients’ lives and are very hard to overcome. This is shown through not only the characteristics of Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-eating Disease, but also through the psychological and physical harm these diseases leave on the body.

The most common eating disorders are neurotic anorexia (usually it's just anorexia), bulimia and gluttony (compulsive overeating). Food disorders can also combine the symptoms of all listed. Food disorder is usually a combination of these disorders, for example, anorexia is relatively rare in this way, as it is described in diagnostic criteria.

As many as 10 million woman and girls suffer from anorexia or bulimia in the United States (Steele). Anorexia and bulimia are very serious eating disorders. Many women and young girls feel that these disorders are the only way for them to be accepted by others. However the strive for acceptance only ends up causing pain, emotional harm, or death to those affected. Being a sufferer of anorexia, I know the emotional and physical damage this disease can cause. The root cause of having an eating disorder is still undetermined, yet some doctors and physiologist believe the new focus on a perfect body, shown by the media is to blame. Society’s portrayal and promotion of a thin body image as the ideal female body contributes to eating

Today in our society, there is a strong emphasis placed on body shape and appearance as seen in much of our media (Grigg et. al, 1996). Unfortunately, the ideal body image encouraged by society is often unhealthily thin and unrealistic and may therefore contribute to the prevalence of body distortion and ED , may times women will engage in disordered eating in hopes of attaining the false ideal. Even girls aged 5–8 years of age are already living in an appearance culture in which both peers and the media influence body image and dieting awareness ( Dohnt & Tiggermann, 2006). The vast majority of people with eating disorders in the United States are adolescents and young adult women. Eating disorders, in addition to causing various physical health problems, are associated with illnesses such as depression, substance abuse, anxiety, and especially OCD (Rubenstein et. al, 1992).

Eating disorders have existed throughout history, with only slight variances in incidence and distribution. However, the frequency of eating disorders in the general population has been steadily increasing since the 20th century (Crash Course). More than 50% of people have revealed the use of unhealthy dieting techniques and chronic disordered eating patterns while at least 10% of people (in the United States) have been diagnosed with a clinically significant eating disorder (Stice, et al). As a result of the increased

Eating disorders plague the lives of many people mentally and physically. Eating disorders are very common in the United States. More than eight million American men and women including children and adults suffer from eating disorders. There is more than one type of eating disorder. The following eating disorders are the most common ones found in the United States and other countries worldwide: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating disorder. There are many factors that contribute to eating disorders and the treatments being done to help people who are suffering from eating disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder often found in young adolescent women, that has been characterized by a distorted attitude towards weight and body image, a set of behaviors calculated to produce weight loss and other physiological and psychological symptoms. Physiological symptoms include (according to the DSM III- R criteria) starvation, amenorrhoea, and a refusal to maintain weight above 85% of their ideal weight. Psychological symptoms include an obsessive pursuit of thinness, along with obvious body preoccupation, and an incessant rumination about food. In addition, they are also engaged in compulsive calorie counting and excessive physical exercise. The

Anorexia nervosa is an issue in abnormal psychology. Anorexia nervosa is self-starvation and dramatic weight loss. The history of anorexia nervosa, basic demographics, and examples will be discussed. Systemic issues, like mortality, possible causes, and effective treatments will also be discussed.

To lose confidence in one’s body is to lose confidence in oneself. Many people often forget that our flaws are what makes us human. If we can accept them as part of who we are, they really do not have to be an issue. In fact, the things that we hate in ourselves causes us to function differently than what is expected. This ideal perception of beauty can lead to several mental illnesses. Most importantly, eating disorders. Eating disorders include extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. Many people suffer with this mental illness and it can have a huge impact on their lives. People today live in a media-saturated world and do not control the message. Society and the media contributes to eating disorders by displaying unrealistic body images, unsuitable advertising and impractical mental health care.