PSYCHOLOGY
Eating disorders, (ED) have long been associated with a particular perception. One which is today turning out not to be the only influencing factor when it comes to these psychological disturbance that affect many women worldwide, and are in fact on a steady increase. It has for a long time been generalized and assumed that the emergence of certain eating disorders such as binge eating and anorexia in several countries –not just America- was ascribed to the media image of “thin” being beautiful. Though this is trues and many cases support this hypothesis, there are however new incites in studies done in different countries which bare quite intriguing outcomes. This papers, discusses two other such ideas from researches carried out in Fiji and Japan.
A significant number of the Japanese women have encountered the problem of eating disorders. Studies done show that beyond the increased urbanization and industrialization aspects, there are cultural aspects unique to the country that have led to a rise in cases of ED in women in their young adult and adolescence years. There are socially and culturally specific issues in japan such as cultural values, pressure from models of marriage, independence and adulthood all which differ from those of the western world. In Fiji however, it’s been noted with concern that young girls and women use media as a resource for guidance. In an attempt to make their presence known making them vulnerable and susceptible to making self-representations drawn out of the media especially television in most cases lacking the ability to critique these situations and come up with rational judgments as to why the images of the women depicted in certain T.V shows are the way they are. Instead, they chose to use this as an avenue to compensate for their place in a society where to be recognized and given status means following specific conventional and cultural methods.(Becker et al 514)
Works cited
Becker, Anne E. et al. “Eating Behaviours and Attitudes Following Prolonged Exposure to Television among Ethnic Fijian Adolescent Girls.” British Journal of Psychiatry 180.JUNE (2002): 509–514. Web.
