Introduction and Thesis
The topic on eating disorders is perhaps one of the most equivocal topics of all time. In fact, this topic has evolved into one of the most contentious topics all around the globe. This can be accredited to the fact that the recent past has experienced a significant increase in cases of eating disorders amongst people of all ages. Nonetheless, adolescents seem to be the most signification proportion of the populations who are affected significantly by issues resulting in eating disorders. Speaking of eating disorders, this refer cases where an individual develops negative attitude towards foods; hence, precipitating a change in their eating behaviour and habits (Martinez-Gonzalez et al. 316). While much has been hypothesized regarding the primary factors that precipitate the occurrence of eating disorders, it is of the essence to note that the media is the most comprehensive factor that elicits the occurrence of eating disorders.
Discussion: media as the main factor that precipitate the occurrence of eating disorders
Arguably, there exists a wider array of reasons that indicate that indeed the media plays a colossal role in influencing the occurrence of eating disorders. Above all, the media often creates the notion that the “ideal” body shape that people should have is thin bodies. This is further propagated by the fact that the media often showcases images of models, whose body shapes are often thin. Through this, various people in the society, especially girls have developed fascinating admiration for thin body shapes as they seek to keep up with the trends portrayed by the media. In order to attain the “ideal” body shapes societal members have adopted certain eating habits aimed at making their body shapes become as ideal (thin) as those of the models. It is the quest to develop such ideal body shapes portrayed by the media that result in eating disorders (York “Eating Disorders: How Social Media Helps Spread Anorexia and Bulimia in Young People”).
The second argument that support the notion that the media is the main factor that results in the occurrence of eating disorders is the fact that various media platforms tend to market dieting habits amongst the populations. Precisely, a number of advertisements; print, audio, and visual are aired across various media platforms emphasize on dieting. Such advertisements contribute to the occurrence of eating disorders in that they propel messages, which make people become discouraged of their body shapes. Evidently, a number of dieting messages passed to the populations by the media discourage women and men from being satisfied with their bodies (Thompson & Heinberg 349). As such, these messages encourage people to try and change their appearance. This results in disordered eating because people will change their attitudes towards food as they seek to attain the body shapes deemed desirable by the dieting advertisements.
Another substantive proof that the media have a role to play in influencing the occurrence of eating disorders is the presence of a number of researches that have proved that indeed the media influence the occurrence of eating disorders. In line with this, a research carried out in Fiji by Harvard Medical School showed that exposure of children to the media, especially television resulted in a change in their eating habits. In this research, the eating habits of the participants were assessed prior and after exposure to television programs. Notably, the participants demonstrated adequate eating habits before their exposure to television programs. As such, this research proved that the media plays a role in precipitating change in individual eating habits (Martinez-Gonzalez et al. 319).
Finally, the media, especially inline media contributes in one way or another to the high incidences of eating disorders that have become eminent in the recent past. Evidently, online media encourage the adoption of poor eating habits that result in eating disorders because it proliferates online images. In fact, a significant proportion of online databases have been referred to as pro-eating disorders based on the role they play in eliciting the adoption of eating disorders by the populations. Similar to other media avenues, online media had been filled with images deemed to be ideal. Coincidentally, these images are the same thin body shapes of models and celebrities that are showcased in other media segments. This encourages people to adopt certain eating habits such as self-induced vomiting in order to attain such body shapes (York “Eating Disorders: How Social Media Helps Spread Anorexia and Bulimia in Young People”).
Sociological perspective of eating disorders
Deductively, eating disorders are aligned with the sociological concept on feminism. According to the feminist theory, the emphasis of idealistically thin bodies relates with the constantly evolving roles of women in the society. This is because standards on appearance are mainly limited to women and rarely affect men. As such, the society has set certain standards on women, particularly on appearance, which forces women to adopt poor eating habit as they seek to attain such standards. This explains the sociological scope of eating disorders, which tends to affect more women than men.
Conclusion
Work Cited
Martinez-Gonzalez, Miguel Angel, Gual, Pilar, Lahortiga, Francisca, Alonso, Yolanda, de Irala-Estevez, Jokin, Cervera, Salvador. “Parental Factors, Mass Media Influences, and the Onset of Eating Disorders in a Prospective Population-Based Cohort. Paediatrics 111.2 (2003): 315-321. Print.
Thompson, Kevin, and Heinberg, Leslie. “The Media’s Influence on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorders: We’ve reviled Them, Now Can We Rehabilitate Them?” Journal of Social Issues 55.2 (1999): 339-353. Print.
York, Christopher. “Eating Disorders: How Social Media Helps Spread Anorexia and Bulimia in Young People.” The Huffington Post 13 October 2012: All. Retrieved From: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/12/social-media-anorexia-bulimia-young- people_n_1962730.html
