As we have seen with the eating disorder statistics, the numbers are astronomical for eating disorders, and the media doesn't help. TV celebrities are stick thin (and remember, the television adds 10 pounds!). Models are disgustingly thin.
How can eating disorders not be influenced by the media? It is obviously true that media influence on eating disorders is only one piece of the puzzle, as there is no single cause of eating disorders. However, when you think about the number of people who are not satisfied with their appearance, certainly having beautiful, skinny, young people in the media influenced eating disorders.
Another aspect of eating disorders and the media is the opposite message that is being sent by putting beautiful, skinny people on tv. By not having normal weight people in abundance – by not having heavier people as stars on tv or in the movies – the message that is being sent is, “normal weight people or people on the heavier side are not acceptable.”
Society sends messages to girls about looking cute
Certainly media influence eating disorders and stress the importance of appearance, however, we also send messages to babies and young kids all the time that appearance matters. “Look how cute!” Think about how common that phrase is. The message kids internalize when they finally do understand what the phrase means is, “being cute is a good thing.” So what happens when they grow up and feel like they’re not so cute? What happens when they look at themselves and compare themselves to the pretty, successful girls and women on tv? Girls end up feeling inadequate. Girls end up feeling like there is something wrong with them. And many times, they develop eating disorders in an effort to achieve the image of perfection they see on tv or in magazines – an image that is not realistic. Thus you have to conclude that media and eating disorders are closely related.
Being surrounded by diets and diet fads doesn't help
So not only do women feel pressured, they develop eating disorders and the media has an influence on that, but being inundated with diet plans and diet fads doesn’t help either. It is nearly impossible to get away from advertisements for the latest diet trick or from someone talking about how they’re going to lose weight on whatever fad diet is out there. If you are a teen who is desperate to fit in, buying into these diet fads can seem like a quick fix. Unfortunately, depending on other circumstances present in your life, they could help facilitate the onset of an eating disorder. Teenagers and women of all ages fall victim to these scams all the time.
While the media influence eating disorders, they don’t in and of themselves cause an eating disorder. But they do contribute to an environment that could lead to the development of an eating disorder in conjunction with other high-risk factors.
Continue reading for the external and internal factors that contribute to eating disorders:
Physical & emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Low self-esteem
Feeling invisible & not heard
Feeling silenced
Feeling alone
Relationships
Food issues
I would love to hear your thoughts on the issue of the role media plays in contributing to body image dissatisfaction. Please use the contact page and I will add your comments on eating disorders and the media as you send them to me.
