...In today’s world, one simply cannot escape the judgment of others. At the most judgmental time of their lives, teenage girls in the United States struggle to accept themselves while craving the approval of others. As young women strive to reach perfection, the view on women today may influence their dedication for a perfect body. While society shames bigger women for their weight, degrading thoughts begin to take-over the minds of developing teens. Studies show that negative psychological thoughts of oneself often result in eating disorders among teenage girls in the United States; these degrading thoughts can come from clothing companies, the media, and society’s view on women. First, clothing companies can have a big impact on the view that...
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...Society’s Influence on Eating Disorders Society today applies undo pressure on women to conform to a universal definition of beauty. This unnecessary pressure causes women to develop serious insecurities and feelings of inadequacy, which eventually lead to eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia. Without society and the media creating a false image of beauty, the percentage of women suffering from eating disorders would decrease tremendously, and women would stop trying to reach a body weight that is unhealthy and also nearly impossible to achieve. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia can be stopped, but only if society does something to help prevent it. Anorexia Nervosa is a disorder that causes distorted perceptions of the body and a fear of gaining weight. This disorder causes self-starvation and also extreme weight loss. Those who suffer from anorexia are generally seen as being “painfully thin,” which is quite accurate because many dealing with this disorder have a bit of physical discomfort due to their low body weight (Keel 3). People with anorexia tend to develop daily rituals. Some people will count calories while others will weigh themselves after every meal (Keel 20). Because of the obsession with thinness, the rates of those suffering with this disorders has risen greatly (Keel 59). At least one out of every twenty people with anorexia dies, and when compared to other disorders, it seems to be the most deadly (Keel 16). Though not as harmful as...
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...not something that is often thought of as negative. However, their portrayal of what is beautiful has become distorted over the years, to the point where achieving this “thin-ideal”, which will be defined later, is nearly impossible for women if done through healthy means. Because of this, many women develop body dissatisfaction, which can lead to serious and dangerous consequences, such as the development of eating disorders, in order to be “beautiful”. While there are many factors that can be linked to eating disorders, research has found that the media’s influence on society’s portrayal of extremely thin females as the ideal body is directly correlated to the increase in body dissatisfaction, eating disorders and other harmful conditions found in women. By analyzing this from a feminist perspective, it can be argued that not only does the media’s influence on the idealization of thinness effect females physical and mental health negatively, but it also acts as reinforcement for the patriarchal culture prevalent in today’s society. There is a wide range of eating disorders, ranging from minor to severe. Body dissatisfaction, which is “a psychiatric condition in which the affected person suffers from a flawed perception that views some part of the body or physical feature to be defective or...
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...Abstract The main purpose of this extended project dissertation is as following: to explore the causes of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, in particular the biological, psychological and societal causes. Eating disorders are becoming increasingly common in today’s society and the causes of theses disorders are not completely known. This essay explores the symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the risks and consequences of suffering from such disorders. The essay also concentrates upon how eating disorders are gradually affecting more and more men and children – something that was not often seen before. The main focus of this project is to discover whether the causes of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa stem from pre-dispositions which are linked with the body and mind or rather stemmed from society. The main biological reasons which the essay focuses on are; damaged hypothalamuses and genetic hereditariness. The main environmental causes of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa that I have studied are media influences and undesirable conditions for raising children. In writing this project I believe that I have developed valuable skills that I will need in my subjects which include; being able to extract key information from large pieces of text, researching, speedy note taking and the ability to weigh up two sides of an argument fairly and without bias. I am also aware that the skills I am developing while writing this dissertation...
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...Does our society promote eating disorders? The demand for perfection is greater than ever in today’s society. People would do anything to have the body of their dreams, even if it’s just for a day. Because of this, many people are unsatisfied with their bodies. Many of these people develop eating disorders. They think that if they are overweight, they are unattractive. If a person has an eating disorder, that person could be in serious trouble with their health. An eating disorder is an illness that causes a person to adopt harmful eating habits. Eating disorders are most common among teenage girls and women, and frequently occur along with other psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders. The poor nutrition associated with eating disorders can harm organs in the body and, in severe cases, lead to death. The three most common types of eating disorder are anorexia nervosa, compulsive overeating, and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is a refusal to maintain minimal body weight within 15 percent of an individual's normal weight. Anorexia is basically starvation. Anorexia is a serious, life-threatening eating disorder that is quite serious and can result in death. People with anorexia nervosa ignore hunger and thus control their desire to eat. This desire is frequently sublimated through cooking for others or hiding food that they will not eat in their personal space. Obsessive exercise may accompany the starving behavior and cause others to assume the...
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...Eating, Substance Abuse, Sex/Gender/Sexual, Impulse-Control, and Personality Disorders The capacity for normal human functioning is reduced when an individual suffers from eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual, gender identity and/or personality disorders. When an individual suffers from an eating disorder their perception of the self is blurred with a constant need to be “skinner”. Society plays a major role in self-perception. Society portrays beauty as women and men who weigh ninety-five pounds. Due to this current obsession to be skinny in today’s society, many young girls and boys will develop an eating disorder, or turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to escape from the daily pressures to be beautiful in today’s society. This paper will analyze the biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components of eating, substance abuse, sex/gender/sexual, and personality disorders. The DSM-IV-TR includes two axis I categories of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa—restricting and binge-eating/purging types—and bulimia nervosa—purging and non-purging types. Biological factors involved with eating disorders include genetic basis, hormonal excesses and deficiencies and abnormal neural activity. People who suffer from anorexia and bulimia usually have low serotonin levels as well as structural brain abnormalities. High expectations set by parents is a key factor in the emotional aspect of this disorder. Many strive toward high expectations and suffer the effects of...
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...Childrearing and Eating Disorders Mary Maha ANT101: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Instructor Adrienne Stafford May 8, 2016 Childrearing and Eating Disorders Childrearing in today’s society is different especially when there are different ways in between having the mother discipline or the father discipline. Different ways of childrearing are mainly the authorative or the permissive. Rarely would anyone have any other type of childrearing in the family. Also having issues with young teens in eating disorders to fit in with the right crowd within the community has been a major problem around the world. Due to having a certain image has brought the young adolescents to have this certain eating disorder. So within this paper I will be explaining the different ways of childrearing in each family from an etic perspective. I also will be giving an insider’s perspective on the image of young adolescents and the problem with the eating disorders that they will face for cultures in different countries. Part I Childrearing parents are different in many cultures, but the main point is the way the mothers and fathers have their own ways of childrearing in their lives. You have the authorative, permissive, non-conforming, and the rejecting-neglecting parents. Having different childrearing ways characterize a family relation as positive, but not as positive as the permissive style. You basically have the mothers as being more of the authorative style and the fathers...
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...Determining risk factors, consequences, and protective measures of Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Disorders Determining risk factors, consequences, and protective measures of Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Disorders Body image is an individual’s perception of his or her own body in terms of sexual attractiveness. Human society has emphasized on beauty of the human body for a long time. However, an individual’s perception of their own body may differ from society’s standards, thus, causing body dissatisfaction. As a response to body dissatisfaction, every year, millions of people in the world succumb to potentially life threatening eating disorders. Eating disorders are a group of conditions characterized by abnormal eating habits that may involve excessive or insufficient food consumption, thus, affecting an individual’s physical and psychological health. Some common types of eating disorders include bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, binge eating, and obesity. This paper has explored six published articles that conducted research on various factors contributing to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. The articles have examined the influence of society and media, gender and ethnic differences, development of depression, and some protective measures for body dissatisfaction and the development of eating disorders. ...
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...Compliant Destruction Music artists and their lyrics have a very large impact on their adolescent listeners, and the negative influence surrounding today’s popular music is detrimentally affecting today’s youth. “In a study done in 2000, North et al found that a sample of 2465 adolescents in England reported listening to music for an average of 2.45 hours per day” (American Academy of Pediatrics 1). This means that teens are listening to lyrics that desensitize and glamorize the use of drugs, sex, alcohol, and discrimination for at least two hours a day. Then, in addition to listening to music, teens watch explicit music videos, read incriminating articles, and see scandalous stories on the news that further amplify this negative influence....
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...In today’s society, eating disorders have been found to affect a large number of people. The disorder does not discriminate against gender, age group, or socioeconomic status although it’s more common in the female gender. The three most common types of this psychological disorder include Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge eating. Anorexia is found in a person who refuses to eat or eats a minimal amount to cause severe weight loss. Bulimia involves a person who consumes a large amount of food and then seeks to purge himself of the caloric intake. Most commonly this is accomplished by vomiting. The third type, binge eating, is similar to bulimia accept in this particular case there is no attempt by the individual to compensate for the caloric intake. In the following research paper the causes, clinical findings, and treatment of each of these disorders will be discussed to determine how each varies from one another. Anorexia nervosa is a psychological disorder that is caused by self-induced starvation resulting in severe weight loss. It is considered a psychological disorder because it primarily affects healthy young individuals, mostly commonly young women, who have developed an obsession with becoming thin. It is estimated that 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime (Stunkard, J. A., & Wilson, T., 2008.) The exact cause is not known, but attitudes towards physical appearance and family issues effect its development. Feasting on large...
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...Eating Disorders in Young Girls Imagine flipping through magazine pictures and you see model after model with the “perfect body”, or you turn on the television only to see the same thing right in front of you. In today’s world young girls minds are molded by media all around them to think that their bodies have to fit in a cookie cutter mold of what society deems as perfect. Statistics have shown that one in ten girls will develop an eating disorder. In today’s society girls feel the pressure from main stream media and this can often end in death. As Dan Rather reported in a 48 Hours documentary, As Dan Rather reported in a 48 Hours documentary, Women are far more likely than men to be unhappy with the way they look, and their weight is the biggest reason why. The worrying starts early. Nearly half of all 13-year-old girls say they don’t like their looks. By 18, it’s up to 80 percent. One study even found that young girls are more afraid of being fat than of nuclear war or getting cancer. Health professionals state that there are three different kinds of eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa, is where a young girl has an irrational fear of getting fat or gaining weight; in which they will starve themselves to the point of starvation or exercise to the point of exhaustion and their bodies at that point suffer extreme consequences. Anorexia nervosa can cause the organs to shut down, heart failure, and hair loss just to name a few repercussions of this disease. The American...
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...psychological disorder, many people assume that weight must be controlled in order to feel accepted in society. How is this disorder gaining popularity with its life-threating consequences and severe side effects? Is there any real way to fix Anorexia or will it always be part of a vicious cycle in today’s society? Anorexia Nervosa is a type of eating disorder that affects approximately 95% of teenage females (medicinenet.com). People who have anorexia have an intense fear of gaining weight, therefore, limiting the amount of food they eat (webmed.com). It is a way of using food or starving oneself to feel more in control of their life and to ease tension, anger, and anxiety (womenshealth.gov). A person with anorexia often begins dieting to lose weight. Over time the weight loss becomes a sign of mastery and control (medicinenet.com). The individual continues the ongoing cycle of restrictive eating, accompanied by excessive exercising or the overuse of diet pills to induce loss of appetite, or diuretics, or laxatives in order to reduce body weight, often to the point close to starvation in order to feel a sense of control over her body (medicinenet.com). Anorexics lives become focused on controlling their weight (womenshealth.gov). There is no single known cause of anorexia, but it is thought to develop from a mix of family history, social factors and personality traits (womenshealth.gov). Parents who think looks are important, diet themselves, have struggled with an eating disorder...
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...Anorexia and Eating Disorders Basic Critical thinking Approach We chose this approach because it is effective in analyzing eating disorders and because it offers a simple and easy to follow guide for addressing an extremely complicated topic. It also allows readers to easily understand the various elements of eating disorders and why this is a social issue. Analysis Anorexia and eating disorders are regarded as extremely undesirable in our society that bring with it all kinds of social stigmas. The occurrence of Anorexia and other eating disorders like Bulimia are increasing and effecting a wider segment of the population than ever before and at alarming rates. It is ruining lives before they start and can effect careers, relationships and the futures of it victims, and in a certain percentage of these people even death. The productivity of the people affected including their families suffers as well costing society a great deal in terms of lost productivity and social resources. This issue affects teen girls, women and men, in fact surprisingly one case in three of Anorexia Nervosa is a male “according to Dr. Blake Woodside, director of the program for eating disorders at Toronto General Hospital. For Bulimia, it is about one in four.” (Kirkey, 2013) It is also becoming more common among women in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, even their 60’s. (Agrell, 2009) It is harmful to the person who is suffering from the mental illness both physically and psychologically...
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...“Eating disorders are one of the many unspoken secrets that affect many families.” (Grohol, 2009) The author of this article, John Grohol, wanted to educate readers of the different types of eating disorders. He also wanted to inform his readers about the dangers of eating disorders and who all eating disorders affect. Eating disorders may be important to the author because eating disorders are becoming very relevant in today’s society. “Millions of Americans are afflicted with this disorder every year, and most of them, up to 90 percent, are adolescent and young women.” (Grohol, 2009) The targeted groups subjected to eating disorders are typically women. The types of eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Anorexia is the name for simply starving yourself because you are convinced you are overweight. Bulimia is characterized by excessive eating, and then ridding yourself of the food by vomiting, abusing laxatives or diuretics, taking enemas, or exercising obsessively. Ridding yourself of food is also called purging. Binge eating is when one overly eats, often when that person is not hungry. The person also often eats alone because they are shamed about their excessive eating habits. Eating disorders should be taken very seriously. Most people with eating disorders do not admit to have a serious problem. A lot of the time people who have eating disorders think that something is wrong with their appearance. They are not happy with the way that they look, and...
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...bones stick out of one’s skin. There are many factors in today’s society that contribute to the idea of beauty such as appearance. The main poison affecting how society views beauty is the media. Female adolescents and adult women in the United States are more interested in beauty and obsessed with body image now than ever before. The twenty-first century is obsessed with the media and what it delivers to the public. What the media emphasizes is what the women of the world desire. If the media advertises skinny as beautiful, that is what women aim to achieve. Magazine advertisements, television, and runway models all have one thing in common: distortion of body image. When opening the monthly issue of Allure or Vogue, many of the women are extremely thin. The clothes worn in these ads are tiny an very revealing. It appears that the fashion industry is trying to say that the skinnier one is, the better the clothes will look on the body. When a female turns on the television to watch Gossip Girl or Victorious, the girls are gauntly skinny. The media has a negative impact on body image for females of all ages in the United States, leading to eating disorders and plastic surgery. Body image is crucial to females in America, the message the media puts out to society is hard to miss. Beauty equals perfect hair, perfect skin, and a slim body; however this theory was not always so. According to the Body Image Timeline: Western Society, in the 1800’s the ideal body type structure was plump...
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