Does the Media Cause Eating Disorders? - Part 1

Psychologists are finding that eating disorders are becoming more and more prevalent in teenagers and older children. There are often several factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders that include psychological, sociological, familial and media images. In fact, many of today’s psychologists blame the increased number of younger children and teenagers who are experiencing symptoms of eating disorders on the media’s portrayal of the “perfect” body. With the increasing technology available to media producers they are able to airbrush models who are already a size 0 into an even smaller size.

Of course, the causes of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia and compulsive eating disorder, are much more complex than to be blamed on just what people see on the television or what is published in magazines. However, one of the factors which is important in the development of an eating disorder is the belief that an individual’s body type does not meet the perfect standard. With the advance of Twiggy (super thin model extraordinaire) more and more people, the media included, are perpetuating the myth that the only beautiful people are thin people.

From early childhood the media teaches us that thin matters. Consider your favorite television shows. Actors who happen to be outside of the weight norm are often portrayed as the bad guy, don’t have any friends or are lazy. The pumped up musclebound men or abnormally thin women are the heroes and heroines.

Infomercials for dieting programs are just as guilty. They airbrush, tape up and have surgically enhanced magazine models who are poured into the current fashion and paraded in front of the camera. Even the merciless advertise that they have the perfect dieting program which will take you from a size 12 to a size 4! When did a size 10 or 12 become overweight?