Eating Disorders and the Media

Eating disorders are a serious problem that is permeating our culture more and more. While poor body image is one of the precursors to the disorders, some feel that the media places unrealistic expectations when it comes to beauty in our world, and that is why many suffer from the disorders. In this article, we'll examine the role that the media plays when it comes to disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

One of the main factors in the mental development of children in recent times is the place that the television has in the household. While some may resort to the television as a means of entertainment from time to time, we all know about families in which the television is god, with the media playing the role of parent to growing children. Children are very impressionable, and the roots of eating disorders often occur at an early age. And it's no secret that the media is actively participating when it comes to portraying excruciatingly thin models in ads and on television. As a matter of fact, the average model female has a weight that is approximately twenty five percent lower than her ideal body weight. When that is added to the fact that plastic surgery is often undertaken by these models, and the photos that are taken of them are often airbrushed to eliminate flaws, a standard of beauty is created that is unattainable to the public-at-large. We are continuously exposed to these messages of unrealistic beauty, as the average person is expected to see between four and six hundred advertisements per day. Out of these advertisements, roughly one out of eleven is based off of a beauty product that will feature a model. School can prove to be a significant source of pressure when it comes to self image, and when coupled with the messages sent to us by the media, it's no wonder that eating disorders pervade our culture. Youths have the unique problem of being both impressionable and cruel, and when someone is teased about the appearance of their body, the likelihood of an eating disorder may become more and more evident.

While you may think that eating disorders aren't altogether present in our culture on a large scale, you may be shocked to hear the findings of studies. One showed that a full one out of seven college-aged females has a problem with bulimia, and one out of a hundred has a problem with anorexia. These problems clearly aren't going away, and in order to be treated, psycho-therapy is often necessary. The problems are deeply rooted on a psychological level, and counseling and therapy are often the only solutions when one is afflicted with an eating disorder. One out of every ten people who suffer from an eating disorder will die due to the damage that the disorder does to their body. To that end, it is a very serious problem within our society that should be seriously examined. The media should be more responsible when it comes to the images that are placed upon our impressionable younger generations.