EATING DISORDERS AND THE MEDIA
Jessica Anderson
MY OPINION
The media doesn’t cause eating disorders because: It’s a psychological problem There is no single known cause There is plenty of plus size advertising Most have had problems with eating since
childhood
A PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM
large gap between how women see themselves and how they actually look
start as a result of their mother’s opinions
MORE THAN THE MEDIA: CAUSES
Culture: Women partially define themselves of how physically attractive they are
Personal characteristics: helplessness, worthlessness, and poor self-image often accompany an eating disorder
MORE THAN THE MEDIA: CAUSES
Other emotional disorders: other mental problems, like depression or anxiety, occur with eating disorders
Stressful events or life changes: starting a new school or job and traumatic events
MORE THAN THE MEDIA: CAUSES
Biology: studies being done to look at genes, hormones, and chemicals in the brain may have an effect on development and recovery
Eating disorders are like any other addiction
MORE THAN THE MEDIA: CAUSES
Families: attitude of parents about appearance and diet affects their kid’s attitudes
if your mother or sister has bulimia, you’re more likely to have it
AVERAGE SIZE WOMEN
“There are plenty of other representations of ‘beauty’ out there besides the thin, blonde, half-naked type” –www.about-face.org
Sizes 6-10 are normally depicted in plus size campaigns
KIDS AND EATING DISORDERS
Many kids are concerned about how they look and feel self conscious
42% of first to third grade girls want to be thinner
81% of ten year olds are afraid of being fat
KIDS AND EATING DISORDERS
Most who have eating disorders began between 11 and 13
Many people who develop eating disorders have low self-esteem
focus on their weight can be an attempt to gain control of their lives
WHAT IS BEING DONE
New regulations have made regarding a minimum age for models
Setting restrictions on how many hours young models can work
WHAT IS BEING DONE
Vogue-editor-in-chief, Anne Wintour, and fashion designer, Michael Kors, spoke about eating disorder awareness at the annual public forum held at Harvard
WHAT IS BEING DONE
Kors also committed to not using models under 16, “The age of models has to become a priority, we need to give these girls a chance to grow up.”
GLAMOUR
Glamour magazine was flooded with praising letters when they published photos and a plus size ad
OTHER MEDIA INFLUENCES
If the media is to blame for eating disorders, it is also to blame for confidence