Does the Media Determine Our Waistlines?

Does The Media Determine Our Waistlines?

America was shocked, when, on February 4, 1983, Karen Carpenter, lead vocalist of The Carpenters, the best-selling American group between 1970 and 1980, died of a heart attack at the blooming age of 32. The heart attack was a consequence of chronic Anorexia Nervosa, or more precisely a result of her abuse of laxatives ("Karen" 1). The seriousness of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa had not quite been realized. Within years from this incident, however, the disorders had become a public issue. Soon psychologists swamped the public with researches on the causes of eating disorders. One question quickly crystallized of the mass of studies: Does the media promote eating disorders? Although the belief that the media is not to be blamed for the soaring cases of eating disorders among teenagers is prevalent among both specialists and amateurs, numerous studies show that actually it is.

"Eating disorder fall in the category of disorder ... characterized by severe disturbances in eating behavior" (American 1). This includes Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa.

Anorexia Nervosa is defined as "a refusal to Name 2 maintain a minimally normal body weight" (American 1). Anorectics are terrified of gaining weight and therefore refuse to eat at all, or eat barely eat enough to stay alive. They often think that they are already overweight, which is usually a wrong assumption, and feel the urge to diet. According to the American Dietic Association (ADA), a person meets the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa, if he or she is unable to maintain a body weight less than 85% percent of that considered normal and healthy. Women often do not menstruate for several months. Their perception of their own body is disturbed, which causes the constant demand to lose more weight (American 2). This symptom applies to Bulimia Nervosa as well. Bulimia Nervosa, also known as the "binge-and-purge disease," is characterized "by repeated episodes of binge eating followed by ... self-induced vomiting" (American 2). Bulimics often misuse laxative, diuretics, or other medications to accelerate the vomiting process. When the desire to eat kicks in, they often eat amounts of food that "normal" persons would eat in two or three days (American 2). Most Bulimics are extremely underweight, for they do not digest the food they swallow, but vomit before the body can absorb the nutrients. Both diseases are psychological disorders, and are therefore included in the diagnostic Name 3 manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV) (Long 1). Although eating disorders appear to be a relatively modern disorder, actually they are not. Indeed, "Anorexia has its roots as far back as the 13th century" (Kuehnel 1). Bulimia was first practiced by the old Romans. At effusive eating orgies, they would induce vomiting in order to be able to drink and eat more (Kuehnel 1). The causes of the disorder, as well as the disorder itself, however, have drastically changed. While 700 years ago, women would fast due to religious reason, today Anorexia is rather to be blamed on social factors. In ancient Rome, people that suffered from Bulimia were hardly ever thin. They would vomit, simply to be able to indulge in more delicacies (Kuehnel 1). In 1649, the English doctor, Richard Morton completed the first detailed description of a patient with Anorexia. The term "Anorexia Nervosa" was coined by Sir William Gull as early as 1870. Although practiced in ancient times, Bulimia Nervosa was not very well-known in the first half of the 20th century. Not until 1979 was the term "Bulimia Nervosa" coined by Dr. Gerald Russell (Kuehnel 1). The disorders became a public issue, when famous sport and dance stars publicly announced that they were suffering from one Name 4of the disorders, or simply died of it. Before the 1970s it had not been recognized by the public as a serious mental health problem, but with the deaths of singer Karen Carpenter or world class gymnast Christy Henrich, the United States suddenly became aware of the prevalence of Anorexia and Bulimia. The fact that the media is partly to be blamed for the prevalence of these disorder became obvious in 1966, when a young British model, nicknamed "Twiggy," caused a nationwide furor, when featured in fashion magazines. The reason: Weighing 97 pounds at 5'7", Lesley Hornby Armstrong, was not only clearly underweight, but she triggered a desire among countless American women to look exactly like her (Boskind 58). However, professionals still hesitated to accept Bulimia Nervosa as a psychological disorder. Although three times as common as Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa did not appear in the DSM-IV until 1980 (Long 2). Eating disorder have become a wide-spread problem in the United States. The prevalence of Anorexia Nervosa is 0.1% to 0.6% in the general population (Long 2). Although these small percentages might seem insignificant, one must remember that these numbers mean that between 270,000 and 1,620,000 people here in the United States suffer from this disorder.

Bulimia Nervosa is even more common. According Name 5 to Phillip. W. Long, as many as 1% percent of the population are bulimic. This means that 2,600,000 people suffer from Bulimia (Long 2). A recent study found that "10% of women may suffer from bulimia at some time in their lives" (Long 2). Although eating disorders are often considered a typical female problem, 10% of the sufferers are actually male (Long 2). The majority of the bulimics and anorectics are teenagers, however. A recent study, conducted by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), found that 11% of, or 716,000, senior students in high schools across the country are either bulimic or anorexic (National 1).

But also younger girls and boys start to develop eating disorders. By age nine, 50% of the girls in the United States have already dieted (Schneider 10). Although specified as a psychological disorder, both Bulimia and Anorexia obviously affect the sufferer's physical well-being as well. The disorders may cause constipation, muscle weakness, irregular heartbeats, kidney damage, epileptic fits (Calman 2). In extreme cases, Bulimia or Anorexia can lead to death. Approximately 5% of those ,diagnosed with one of the two disorders, die over a 10-year-period (Long 1).

The media constantly present to us the ideal woman as Name 6 extremely thin and subordinate to men. Supermodels like Kate Moss or actresses like Gwyneth Palthrow have sparked much controversy. People that have watched "Ally McBeal" will certainly agree that Calista Flockhart is clearly underweight. "Influenced by these slender, good-looking people they see in ads, films, and TV programs, teenagers seem particularly susceptible to Bulimia and Anorexia" (Dunn 1).

Adolescents are generally very unsure about themselves, and extremely sensitive about negative comments, because they are just developing their personalities. Seeing these underweight role models on television establishes a false body image in their minds. A recent study of 2,000 teen and preteen boys and girls found that 15% of girls and 8% of boys diet or work out in order to look like one of the celebrities they see on television or in magazines (Schneider 3-4). Many teens and preteens idolize movie stars or other celebrities. Practically all of the idols unwillingly disseminate a false body image by presenting their thin bodies in the media. While 20 years ago, Marilyn Monroe's size-12-body was the dream of half the male population in the United States, today the average dress size of female celebrities is a startling 2 (Schneider 9). Since most teenagers have been exposed to television Name 7 since their earliest childhood days, they often perceive the body image presented by television as the natural standard. This false body image spreads like a rumor: When we hear or see it repeatedly, we eventually start to believe it. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the average American child and teenager spends between 22 and 28 hours per week watching television. This means that by the time they reach age 70, they have spent 7 to 10 years in front of the television set (Shelov 1). It is only logical that this extreme exposure to the thinness-promoting, sex-symbol-idolizing medium affects the mind of these children and teenagers. It is a fact that "the flood of TV, movie, and magazine images of sexy thinness seems inescapable" (Elber 2). Advertising is largely responsible, since they are specially created to develop in us a demand for the product that advertisements promote. Commercials convince primarily women that they want to be thin, and that they need to diet (Boskind 90). They also often state that beautiful, thin persons can achieve most anything. Therefore, it may not be surprising that the diet industry is thriving and taking in 33 billion dollars in revenues (Schneider 10-11). As a result, the age at which males and females diet for the first time is drastically plummeting. 10 or 11-year-old Name 8 girls and boys are often ashamed of their bodies (Schneider 3). By targeting their advertisement campaigns at young people, the businesses and the media are laying the foundations of a increase in the prevalence of eating disorders. In addition to the direct influence on the teenagers, the media also affects their lives indirectly. The media can form a society, and not only young people fall for its ideas. Many adults let the media affect their thoughts and their behavior. Teachers, parents, and doctors change their perception of a healthy body, as well. If they comment negatively on a teenager's body, the consequences can be devastating for the unsure, growing youngsters. Research shows that a child with weight problems often develops a lack of self-worth, which may result in "depression and/or obsessive weight concerns" (Relationships 4). It is also proven that coaches and other teachers(such as dancing and cheerleading instructors) often apply pressure on teenagers to loose weight in order to achieve certain body types. The dieting methods the peers suggest are often unhealthy, however, and might exhibit "disordered eating patterns" (Relationships 4). Many adults are unaware of the fact that their actions might promote eating disorders. Often the teachers and Name 9 coaches are assented by the teenagers' parents, who want their children to be extremely successful. Since "in our society slenderness is equated to success and career" (Wuehrer 5), many parents, convinced that they are acting in their children's best interests, expect their teenagers to be slim. This false body image in the parents' heads is to be attributed to the mass media influence, as well. After all, not only teenagers are susceptible to the obscure ideals ,emphasized by this mind- controlling medium. There are, however, people who disagree with the idea that the media does promote eating disorders. They are convinced that social of cultural influence does not contribute to the increasing cases of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. A recent study by an international team of researchers, led by Dr. Hans Wijbrand Hoek of The Hague Psychiatric Institute in the Netherlands, examining the prevalence of Anorexia Nervosa among the inhabitants of Curacao, a small, isolated island in the Caribic, found that "the yearly incident rate for Anorexia Nervosa was 2.6% per 100,000 women, similar to that found in Western cultures" ("Anorexia" 2). The researchers believe that "this finding challenges the ideas that sociocultural pressure to diet is a crucial factor in the causation of Anorexia Nervosa..." ("Anorexia" 2). Previous studies also found that Name 10 "...[being]...overweight is socially acceptable among Curacaos...population" ("Anorexia" 2). This study did not include Bulimia Nervosa, which is at least two to three times as common as Anorexia Nervosa (Long 2). Besides, Anorexia is not a new disorder. In fact women in the middle ages would fast to punish themselves to be pure before God, and to gain God's benevolence. Mass media has merely misinterpreted this old idea. Embedded in a new principle, the media is serving it to the public on a silver plate. The media is certainly not the only factor in the causation of eating disorder, but through its almost unlimited power, it sets wrong standards and promotes the worship of thinness. After all , the masterminds behind the movies, TV shows, and magazines are living people. Reporters, movie directors, and TV show producers are human just like you and me. As the word "medium" says, television, movies, and magazines are merely reflections of the public opinions and interests. Mass media conforms to the demands of society. We, who believe in it, give the media its power. We want to see thin actors and actresses, and television and Hollywood cater to society's wants. If the audience did not like slender actors and actresses, the TV shows would most certainly be taken out of the program Name 11 automatically. When teenage star Alicia Silverstone appeared at the annual Academic Awards ceremony despite her gaining 5 or 10 pounds, the tabloid press "blared out lines like 'Batman and Fatgirl' and 'Look out Batman! Here comes Buttgirl!'" in reference to the latest Batman sequel Silverstone was starring in (Schneider 1-2). However, this does not excuse for the media's idolatry of thinness. The argument that since everybody thinks it is natural, it must be right, is unreasonable and ignorant. In legalese, the media would be guilty as an accessory. It does promote eating disorders, and although not the only cause, it certainly contributes to the prevalence of Anorexia and Bulimia. The media is certainly partially responsible for the skyrocketing cases of eating disorders. Having so much control over this society, mass media should use its power more thoughtfully. Instead of spreading false body images, television and magazines should try to correct the false body image perception by teenagers. Some companies, however, are setting a good example. Recently, while leafing through a magazine, stumbled upon an advertisement by the Kellogg Company. It actually discouraged women, and especially teenage girls, from skipping meals and excessive dieting. On the other hand it suggested they eat a healthy, Name 12 well- balanced breakfast, including a bowl of Kellogg's cereal. This example proves that there are other effective advertising strategies beside the dissemination of wrong body images. If all companies took themselves this for an example, maybe the rest of the world would follow._ Name 13

Works Cited

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Boskind-White, Marlene. Bulimarexia: The Binge/Purge Cycle. New York: W.W. Norton Company, Inc.,1983. Calman, Mel. "Anorexia & Bulimia." No date. 5 pages. Online. Internet. 25 February 1999. Available: www.ex.ac.uk/cimh/help/anor/anor_frame.htm.

Dunn, Don. "When Thinness Becomes Illness." Business Week 3 August 1992: 74-74.

Elber, Lynn. "TV Creates a Real Weight Problem." Chicago Tribune 13 February 1999. 5 pages. Online. Internet. 28 February 1999. Available: www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/article10,1051,SAV-9902130118,06.html.

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Heater, Sandra Harvey. Am I still visible? White Hall, VA: White Hall Books, 1983.

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National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). "High School Study On Eating Disorders." No date. 1 page. Online. Internet. 3 March 1999. Available: www.healthtouch.com/level1/leaflet/ANAD/ANAD011.htm.

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Schneider, Karen S., et al. "Mission Impossible." People No date. 11 pages. Online. Internet. 3 March 1999. Available: www.pathfinder.com/people/960603/features/cover.html.

Shapero, Laura. "Fear and Self-Loathing in Young Girls' Lives." Newsweek 22 September 1997: 69.

Shelov, Steven P., M.D.,et al. "Children, Adolescents, and Television." Pediatrics Volume 96, #4, 10/95.

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Willerson, Roland. "Students Hit Mall to Combat Message That 'Thin-is-in'." The Grand Rapids Press 7 December 1998. 4 pages. Online. Internet. 28 February 1999. Available:http://gr.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/girls7094303.frm.

Willmann, Nicole. "Wechselwirkungen Zwischen Bulimikerinnen Und Der Gesellschaft." No date. 5 pages. Online. Internet. 28 February 1999. Available: www.stern.de/san/mag/san_198/1_aktes/1_AkteS/Deutsch/Referate/re-012.htm.

Wueher, Christa, Ph.D. "Anorexia Nervosa oder 'Pubertaetsmagersucht'." No date. 7 pages. Online. Internet. 28 February 1999. Available: www.psych.at/themen/magersucht.htm.