Influence Of Media On Eating Disorders
Introduction
Most women face eating disorders that result from various factors. The eating disorders have negative effects to the healthy of women, though they do not realize. Eating disorders result to various types of infections that can be controlled by health eating habits. The media and the society and culture need to be blamed for eating disorders in women. This is because media advertisements and cultural values in some society have caused eating problems in women. The media is the main cause of eating disorders among women. This is through advertisements and modeling. The thesis statement is that media portray of women is the major cause of eating disorder in women. This paper analyzes whether eating disorders in women result from media.
Influence of media on eating habits
Most researchers have carried out study to determine if the media is the main cause of eating disorders. Most of the studies have shown that the media is the main cause of eating disorders among women and young girls (Bourke &Castle, 2008). The media causes eating disorders through modeling advertisements on television, magazines or newspapers. It also causes eating disorders through diet advertisements and weight loose advertisements (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009). The main reason people develop eating disorders is fear of getting fat and distorting the body image. Many children develop eating disorders from mothers. The children are only following examples set by their mothers (Bourke &Castle, 2008). Most mothers spent time dieting and worrying about their body images. The mothers influence young girls around them. The mothers spent a lot of time exercising and counting calories and fats (Bourke &Castle, 2008). Most people blame the media for causing eating disorders in women.The media causes eating disorders through advertisements (Cameron &Bloye, 2004). Many women have always wanted to have child like image.
The child like image in women has contributed to increased obsession to be thin. About ten million people in the world suffer from eating disorders (Cameron &Bloye, 2004). The media has contributed to increase in eating disorders in this population, though other factors like the society and cultural values have contributed. Examples of eating disorders among women include Anorexia, Bulimia, and compulsive overeating. According to current statistics, one out of every hundred teenagers suffers from eating disorders (Cameron &Bloye, 2004).The media contributes to eating disorders among women as it contributes to dieting and discrimination (Katzman &Pinhas, 2005). The media encourages discrimination in terms of size and look. Most children spent time watching television and this makes it easy for the children to realize who they are (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009). Most television shows bring images and spent a lot of time advising people to loose weight.
The television shows encourage women and young girls to become thin and beautiful. Most people do not understand the meaning of loosing weight, and the reason they are loosing weight (Katzman &Pinhas, 2005). This results to eating disorders among women.The women end up using wrong methods like dieting to loose weight. This increases the chance of women suffering from eating disorders (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009). The television shows do not encourage people with fatty bodies, and this causes discrimination for fat people (Katzman &Pinhas, 2005). Since, fatty women do not have comfortable environment to live, they end up loosing weight, and using the wrong method to loose weight (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009). This results to eating disorders among the women.The television shows advice fatty women to cut weight so as to look smart and young. Overweight characters in television shows are portrayed as lazy, having no friends. In contrast, thin women are portrayed as successful, popular and sexy (Katzman &Pinhas, 2005). This influences young children and women who spent time watching television. Women and children adopt such principles. Thus, the media can be blamed for increase in eating disorders among women through the television shows (Katzman &Pinhas, 2005).Other medium like magazines can be blamed for causing eating disorders among women (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009). Most super models in popular magazines have become thinner and thinner. Most modeling agencies look for anorexic models.
A woman model in these agencies weights up to 25% less than a normal women (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009).The model is required to maintain a weight of about 15 to 20 percent than the average weight for a normal woman. Some models hired by the modeling agencies undergo plastic surgery so as to achieve the modeling body. Other models are taped- up so as to mold their bodies into photogenic presentation of the models. The photos are airbrushed before they are printed (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009). The body images presented on televisions are not normal. The pictures make people believe they are real, yet they are not. Media modeling has affected many people and young girls. This is because women want to attain the same body like the models. Most of then used wrong method to attain modeling bodies. Most of them diet wrongly to achieve modeling bodies. This has resulted to increase in eating disorders among women (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009). Also, diet advertisements aired on various media have contributed to increase in eating disorders among women (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009). Most television shows, newspapers and magazines emphasize on the need to loosed wait so as to remain young. The diet advertisements use the audience to market their products. Most people do not realize whether the companies advertising various products are using them (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009). The main reason the companies advertise the diets are to increase sales. Mostly, the companies are not aimed at improving health standards. The society continues to buy the product and this makes it easy for the companies to increase sales.
The products may have negative effects on the consumer, but he does not realize. Companies will use the same slogan of beauty to make high volumes of sales (Wildermuth &Gould, 2009).Most of the young women and adolescent girls fail to achieve the thin images they want. This results to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. Most women are not satisfied with their body appearance and shape. This causes stress and eating disorders (Santrock, 2006). Most researchers have found that children aged 5 years and 6 years are already anxious of their body looks and want to be thinner like models portrayed on the media. This makes the children to have eating disorders at a tender age. Most young girls get obsession for thin bodies from their parents. The parents have great influence when it comes to body size and shape. Most female parents want to keep their bodies thin (Santrock, 2006).The parents in turn influence young girls at the age of 5 years to 6 years. The young girls start having eating disorders because they want to maintain thin bodies or ideal bodies. Also, the study has shown that children get obsession for thin bodies from skinny pop stars like Britney spears (Santrock, 2006). The parents also get obsession for thin bodies from the pop stars. Young children start dieting so as to achieve the ideal bodies. Same principle applies to the parents. Thus, the media can be blamed for increased eating disorders among women (Santrock, 2006).
Conclusion
The media is the major cause for increased eating disorders among women and young girls. This is mainly through television shows and advertisements. Most television shows air information about loosing weight and how to become beautiful. The television shows encourage women to loose weight so as to become thin and beautiful. This results to eating disorders among women as they want to have thin bodies and become beautiful.Also, media advertisements like diet advertisements and modeling advertisements have also contributed to eating disorders among women.The television and magazines portray images of various models. Most women and girls crave for such bodies. Most models are thin as modeling agencies do not hire fat people. Some of the models undergo plastic surgery so as to achieve the ideal bodies for modeling. Modeling industry has contributed to eating disorders among young children and women.The women diet so as to achieve the ideal body like the models. Thus, the media should change how it views fat people. This will help eliminate eating disorders among women and young girls. Also, young girls and women should change how they view thin bodies so as to eliminate eating disorders.
Reference
Bourke, J., &Castle, M. (2008).Crash Course: Psychiatry. Elsevier Health Sciences
Cameron, A.D., &Bloye, D. (2004). Psychiatry. Elsevier Health Sciences
Katzman, D., &Pinhas, L. (2005).Help for eating disorders: a parents’ guide to symptoms, causes & treatments. Robert Rose
Santrock. (2006).Adolescence. Tata McGraw-Hill
Wildermuth, A.S., &Gould, J. (2009).Change One Thing: Discover What’s Holding You Back- and Fix It- With the Secrets of a Top Executive Image Consultant. McGraw Hill Professional
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