Etiology of Anorexia

Etiology of Anorexia

I believe that cultural values regarding one’s physical appearance play an integral role in enabling anorexia, especially among teenagers. The concept of an ideal thin body is very common in the media, causing people to believe that being “fat” is undesirable. Even the diets and beauty products marketed among women tend to encourage the attainment of this ideal body. The media passes the message that individuals should not be satisfied with their bodies and should instead seek the ideal thin body. For most people, attaining this ideal body would mean indulging in strenuous workouts and eating less. Some refuse to eat particular foods, something that leads to restrictions against whole food categories (NEDA, 2021). With increased fat-shaming in the media and society in general, individuals strive to attain the ideal slim body by all means.

In 2002, there was a study that was conducted on the impact of television on the behaviors and eating attitudes of Fijian girls. The traditional Fijian culture values curvy bodies, and large appetites are highly encouraged, whereas dieting is discouraged. In the research, adolescent Fijian girls were exposed to Western television for 3 years, and results showed that 69% started dieting, 11.3% began self-induced vomiting to control their weight, and 74% reported feeling fat (Cowden, 2020). The Western culture inspires thinness, and this trend seems to penetrate other cultures, causing lower self-esteem and reduced caloric intake among people. In the current era of increased social media use, individuals tend to gauge themselves against the standards of beauty set by other people, particularly celebrities who are thin and considered beautiful. This increases the risk of disordered eating, particularly among women and adolescent girls. Furthermore, fashion magazines seem to have contributed majorly towards eating disorders. Such magazines have images of unrealistically thin models, some of which have been photoshopped. Research shows that adolescent girls who read and look at these magazines are 3 times more likely to diet to lose weight (Cowden, 2020). Therefore, I agree that cultural values about a perfect body play a major role in the etiology of anorexia.

References

Cowden, S. (2020, September 17). The Media’s Influence on Eating Disorders. Very well mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/media-influence-on-disordered-eating-1138266

National Eating Disorders Organization. (2021). Anorexia Nervosa. NEDA. Retrieved from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/anorexia

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One of the theories on the etiology of Anorexia involves cultural values regarding physical appearance.

Etiology of Anorexia

Specifically, it has been argued that the culture teaches individuals (through magazine covers, movies, and commercials) that there is a certain perfect way to look and that this message contributes to the development of anorexia. What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you agree or disagree?