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It is proven that more than half of a million American teenagers have an eating disorder. Is the media to blame for this large number of eating disorders? These eating disorders have been documented in medical history since the sass. The media contributes to what teenagers believe is “thin and beautiful”. Having an eating disorder can cause many negative physical effects to the body. Not only are there many negative physical effects from eating disorders, there are mental and emotional effects too.
One opposing argument may be that many people may have is the fact that the media could have a positive affect on eating disorders. Thus, eating disorders can be attributed to the media because the portrayal of thin and beautiful models puts pressure on the average teen. The media contributes to what teenagers believe is “thin and beautiful. ” This is why controlling what is in the media is vital to teenagers. Frances O’Connor, the author of Obesity and the Media, explains advertisers bombard viewers with approximately five hundred advertisements everyday, and at east ten percent of these advertisements are directly about beauty.
This information shows that there are an overwhelming number of messages from the media about beauty. In addition, O’Connor later goes on to write that, advertisers expose viewers to the idea that being skinny and losing weight will make them happier. However, in the article, “Eating Disorders and the Media,” The Camp Recovery Center Health Group proves that long-term “regimented diet plans do not work”, the more people purchase diet products, the more the diet industry will keep pushing their false advertisements and slogans.
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervous and Associated Disorders, “Nearly 70 percent of girls in grades five through 12 said magazine images influence their ideals of a perfect body. ” This shows that the media, which can lead to many eating disorders, influences more than half of girls. More specifically, according to an article on the media-awareness weapon, Today’s model weighs about 23% less than the normal woman. Clearly, most models do not depict average women. One study found that most models are between the ages of 14 and 9.
The average height of a model is about 5-10/5-1 1 and the average weight is between 120 and 124 pounds. The healthy weight for a woman who is 510 is between 142-150 pounds. All in all, this is a very significant difference. Susan Albert, Sys. D. , a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, states, “Although thin models are not the cause of eating disorders, they can be a trigger or factor in maintaining an eating disorder. ” In other words, this means that we cannot solely blame models for eating disorders, but they do have an effect on them.
However, to help keep the models healthy, the Council of Fashion Designers Of America (CAFE) has created the CAFE Initiative, which is implementing certain recommendations to designers and magazines to fix this problem. The Sofa’s ideas include ordering models identified as having an eating disorder to seek professional help and not be able to work without a professionals approval, supplying healthy food during photo shoots and runway shows, and educating both models and the rest of the industry on eating disorders. Having the models educated on eating disorders will finitely decrease the number of diseases and deaths.
This evidence proves that there is a very close relationship with eating disorders and the media. Having these so closely related, do want r daughter to have an eating disorder from all the exposure from the media? Having an eating disorder can cause many negative physical effects to the body. For example, the Valor Hills Treatment Center article added, anorexia and bulimia can be accompanied by medical side effects such as: digestive disorders, malnourishment, internal bleeding, ruptured stomach/esophagi, dined failure, and more. These effects could potentially lead to even worse consequences or even death.
But Vic Wagner, the author of the book, Eating Disorders clarifies the most dangerous physical result of any form of the eating disorders is the potential for an electrolyte imbalance. This often leads to a low potassium level, which is one of the most common causes of cardiac arrest. Also, According to an online article, “Eating Disorders”, the National Institute of Health estimates that the lifetime prevalence of bulimia and anorexia is 0. % of the population in the United States, but among just teenagers it is 2. 7%. This exemplifies that teenagers more than double the percentages of having eating disorders than adults.
Also, The Center for Disease Control found that “seventeen percent of all children in the U. S are obese,” putting pressure on children to eat right sometimes has a negative effect which can lead to further health disorders such as eating disorders. Sometimes adults are unaware of the signals they send to children. A humans most brain development is in the early years of their life, childhood. Because of this, adults easily influence children. This is why when dealing with eating disorders It is important to give purely the facts about not only eating disorders, but also being healthy in general.
Likewise, Is an eating disorder really worth all of the negative effects it brings to the body? Not only are there many physical effects from eating disorders, there are mental and emotional effects too. For instance, the National Eating Disorder Association (NEED) describes the four main types of eating disorders: Anorexia Nervous, Bulimia Nervous, Binge Eating Disorder, and other ambitions of these eating disorders together (“What is an Eating Disorder? ‘). NEED continues by stating that people who have a negative body image have a greater chance of developing an eating disorder or other forms of serious depression.
Therefore, having positive body image can all in all keep and r body healthy. Similarly, the Center for Eng Women’s Health, explains females are more inclined to have this problem than males because the characteristics in their personality, underlying eating disorders are usually found in women, these characteristics are passed down from mother to aught, through generation to generation (“Eating Disorders”). Eating disorders can be passed through generations just like physical characteristics. Dry. Walter Okay, a board member of the NEED, describes; “Eating disorders cannot solely be blamed on environmental factors.
Brain-scan studies show that the neural circuitry that normally responds to the pleasure aspects of eating does not seem to work in the mind of anorexics. ” So in some cases, eating disorders can be from DNA mutations and other genetic imperfections. Also, The article “Eating Disorders,” the Center for Young Women’s Health rather goes on to describe that there are many effects that can be caused by eating disorders such as, social isolation, anxiety, fear, and low self-esteem. This can further lead to eating disorders.
Eating disorders are not only to be blamed from the all the exposure to the media, but other physical reasons too. Emaciated bodies, plastic, perfect appearances and flawless faces in the media create pressure for their young viewers, thus leading to destructive behavior. It is important to know what qualifies as an eating disorder, if you have any questions or concerns see a medical physician is recommended. The Center for Young Women’s Health states, “Eating disorder patients can be helped; the first step to recovery is to admit that there is a problem. There are several ways to treat these disorders, but most doctors agree that therapy is best” (“Eating Disorders”). There are many solutions to this problem, for example, educating not only children, but also adults too on their personal health state and that of eating disorders. Another may be offering more health classes in schools, and fresh healthy options for lunch. So is your daughter naturally thin, or is she under pressure from the media?