The Media Made Me Do It! Culture Influences on Eating Disorders

Eating disorders such as compulsive eating, anorexia, and bulimia, can be very dangerous for your body, possibly even resulting in death. There is no single cause for the development of an eating disorder. However, one of the most quickly and often cited reasons that eating disorders develop is the media. Culture influences-that is, how the body is portrayed in the media-can take a toll on impressionable minds, leading to eating disorders, especially among teens and young adults.

Television is one form of media that portrays a thin body as beautiful. A multitude of reality shows have been introduced to the circuit in the past decade, and many of these, such as "Extreme Makeover" and "Celebrity Fit Club" portray thin as the only acceptable form of beauty. Even though, in recent years, these shows have been advocating fitness over thinness, people are still seeing the message that to be thin is to be beautiful. Even outside of the makeover programming realm, television perpetuates the myth that you need to be thin-most female television personalities are petite in size when compared to the average woman and most male television personalities are more muscular and lean than the average male.

This concept is also true in the Hollywood world. Movie stars are typically slender, and some even have developed eating disorders of their own to stay thin. In magazine ads, models advertise alcohol and desserts, two very fattening items, yet they are very thin themselves, showing a distorted (if not downright confusing) view on body image. Designers target a thinner market in most cases, and even sports stars seem to be not only athletic, but also beautiful and thinner than the average regular athlete.

Unfortunately, this cultural influence cannot be stopped and often perpetuates in daily life. Children at school tease heavier children, so kids learn at a young age that being thin is more desirable than being heavy-set, no matter how healthy you may be. Many adults contribute to this as well, being overly concerned with weight and passing this on to their children. Eating disorders develop when diet and exercise to not work, as is the case for many people.

Bulimia, anorexia, and compulsive eating are all very dangerous diseases that can result in a number of health problems, as well as ultimately leading to death. Protect yourself and your loved ones by promoting good body image, healthy eating habits, and moderate amounts of exercise. Prevention is the first type of treatment for this dangerous situation, and although you may not be able to totally block out cultural influence, you can make a positive difference by teaching your children the difference between thin and healthy.

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