1. Chapter 3.8: Diet and the Media
UNIT 3: Animal Anatomy and Physiology
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Course: SBI3C1
TC: Mr. Patel

2. Group Activity: Take a Stand
Group Activity: Take a Stand
WHAT IS HEALTHY?
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3. Group Activity: Take a Stand
Group Activity: Take a Stand
STATEMENT: The media should show bodies of different shapes, not just the stereotypical “ideal” figures.
In groups of four (4):
Define the issue.
Where is the balance between the medical profession’s idea of a healthy body type and the social standards of ideal body types as reflected by the diet food industry and media?
Factors that you think contribute to society’s image of the ideal body
Other weight-reduction options for people whose obesity is dangerous to their health
Other muscle-building options for those who choose this lifestyle
Identify the perspectives of each of the opposing positions.
Brainstorm suggestions for a solution.
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4. Group Activity: Take a Stand
Group Activity: Take a Stand
The Issue: Media pressures to be thin are the cause of eating disorders.
PRO
CON
The social pressure to be thin is the most commonly known cause of eating disorders.
The cause of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia is unknown.
The most common feature of all eating disorder victims is that dieting has triggered their condition.
Eating is controlled by many factors, including appetite, food availability, family, peers, and cultural practices.
Dieting to a body weight leaner than needed for health is highly promote by current fashion trends, the diet industry, and in some sports.
Low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness, and the need to exert control over some aspect of life may all play as large a role in eating disorders as desire for thinness.
Professional models have a severe negative impact on eating disorders.
If an eating disorder runs in the family that may also be a main cause.
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5. Group Activity: Take a Stand
Group Activity: Take a Stand
The Issue: Media pressures to be thin are the cause of eating disorders.
PRO
CON
The average model is 5’11 and weighs only 117 pounds; the average woman is 5’4 and weighs 140 pounds, showing that models are thinner than 98% of women.
Several family and twin studies suggest a high inheritability of anorexia and bulimia. Researchers suspect that multiple genes may interact with environmental and other factors to increase the risk of developing these disorders.
In one study, 42% of Grades 1, 2, and 3 girls want to be thinner, 81% of ten-year-olds are afraid of becoming fat, and 51% of nine-and ten-year-old girls feel better if they are on a diet.
Gonadal steroids may play a role in eating disorders, considering their emergence at puberty or soon after, and the increased risk for eating disorders among girls with early onset of menstruation.
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