Media and Eating Disorders Sonia Valencia Research Methods ITT Technical Institute Instructor Kenneth Frawley

Definition Eating disorders are illnesses that cause a person to adopt harmful eating habits. The two most common types of eating disorder are anorexia and bulimia.

Anorexia and Bulimia Anorexia is an eating disorder where people starve themselves. They are very skinny but are convinced that they are overweight. Bulimia is a psychological eating disorder. It is characterized by episodes of binge-eating followed by inappropriate weight control, such as vomiting, fasting, enemas, excessive use of laxatives, or compulsive exercising.

Media As young girls, we have all been taught from a very young age, that if we are thin, then we were pretty, which will lead to popularity and success. Today, we pick up a magazine or turn on the television, listen to the radio, or shop at the mall and the only message we get is that fat is bad.

Image Teenage girls often feel flawed if their weight, hips, and breasts don’t match up to those of models and actresses. Today even elementary school aged children are obsessed with their weight.

Statistics & Facts Diet and diet related products are a 33 billion dollar a year industry. 81% of ten-year-old girls are afraid of being fat. 42% of girls in first through third grades state they want to be thinner. A study found that adolescent girls were more fearful of gaining weight, than getting cancer, nuclear war or losing their parents.

Statistics & Facts In 1970 the average age a girl that started dieting was 14; by 1990 the average age dropped to 8. One half of 4th grade girls are on a diet. While only one out of ten high school girls are overweight, nine out of ten high school juniors and seniors diet. 79% of teenage girls who vomit and 73% of teenage girls who use diet pills are frequent readers of women’s health and fitness magazines.

Interviews Michelle – 16 year old Hispanic girl- “I think looking at skinny models on TV and magazines make me feel fat, but I don’t think I’ll ever starve myself to look skinny.” Christine- 17 year old Caucasian girl- “ I would never want be overweight, I stay away from junk food and I try to eat healthy. I want to be on television some day.” Marie – 16 year old African American – “I have fat aunts who feel confident, but I would never want to be like them.” Janet – 15 year old Hispanic girl – “Being overweight, I feel that I would try anything to loose weight. I have been dieting since I was 12 and I stay at the same weight. Kids point at me and laugh in my face.”

Skinny Models Banned The world's first ban on overly thin models came from a top-level fashion show in Madrid, Spain. It has caused outrage among modeling agencies and raised the prospect of restrictions at other venues. Organizers say they want to project an image of beauty and health, rather than a waif-like, or heroin chic look.

Skinny Models Banned On February 1 st 2007, A New York City Council member proposed sponsors to ban abnormally thin models from walking New York Fashion Week's runways. Brewer said she wants models to be educated on nutrition and designers to encourage healthy eating habits. Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died in November at age 21. She was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed just 88 pounds.

Conclusion The media and others, may have more to do with shaping an individual's body image than the inflicted herself. When someone is unhappy with their body image it creates negative health consequences such as improper dieting and weight-loss strategies, eating disorders, and poor mental health such as low self-esteem.

Resources /Anore... mmac/chap_6_e.html