The Causes of Anorexia The cult of thinness, or the mass obsession with being thin, has a big impact on women around the globe. Often times this obsession leads to the development of an eating disorder. Anorexia Nervosa, most commonly known as just anorexia, is one of the most common eating disorders as a result of this cult. Anorexia is characterized by the persons inability to maintain a normal body weight; often times the person refuses to eat, and has a distorted perception of their body image (Emery and Shepphird). Typically, this eating disorder tends to affect women at a young age. “Approximately 90 percent of all people diagnosed with anorexia nervosa are women, and most report onset of the illness between ages 12 and 25,”
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Women wore corsets in order to decrease the size of their waists, which made them appear more attractive to men. These corsets distorted the torso, making breathing difficult and causing back problems. By wearing such an item, they gave in to societal pressures. The smallness of their waist symbolized femininity, fragility, and their dependence toward men (Hesse-Biber, 23). This was a reason for insecurity and gave reason for a woman to be critical when it came to her appearance. Eventually, women abandoned this way of dressing, removed their corsets, and welcomed the new style of the 1920’s. The 1920’s brought about a change of style for women, and a new ideal shape for a womans figure. During the 1920’s having the body of a prepubescent girl was the new trend due to the drop waist gowns and flapper dresses. In this era the fashion was a political statement; women dismissed corsets and shrugged on loose fitting dresses that showed off their shape to claim independence and display their rebelliousness ("1920s Fashion for Women") This helped to establish that clothing was a reflection of one’s self. When the 1950’s came along, a curvy physic became popular. Women wanted to look like actress Marilyn Monroe, full figured with large breasts and wide hips. Having bodacious curves like Monroe was …show more content…
“Many experts blame the rise in anorexia nervosa on the unrelenting focus in the popular media on young women’s appearance, especially the emphasis on thinness as an ideal,” (Robert Emery). Consumers are made to believe the secret to happiness lies with their body. Due to the concept of an ideal body image projected in magazines, films, and television, it promotes eating disorders. According to the Chan School of Public Health, “The average American encounters 3,000 advertisements every day… At the center of many of these ads is an image of idealized female beauty.” ("Advertising’s Toxic Effect on Eating and Body Image | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health"). This makes American women susceptible to the strong influence by the media, where they falsely advertise women by changing their body image with the use of technology to appear flawless in ads. “Previous studies have suggested that viewing images of underweight celebrities is associated with a less favorable body image and an aspiration to lose weight, and that these factors may lead to the development of eating disorders” (Yom-Tov and Boyd). Rosario Dawson, an actress featured on a 2011 issue of Shape spoke out about the comments she had received, “…I’m constantly telling girls all the time, ‘Everything’s airbrushed, everything’s retouched. None of us look like that,” Dawson claimed ("Rosario Dawson Talks Weight Loss and Body
Women wore corsets in order to decrease the size of their waists, which made them appear more attractive to men. These corsets distorted the torso, making breathing difficult and causing back problems. By wearing such an item, they gave in to societal pressures. The smallness of their waist symbolized femininity, fragility, and their dependence toward men (Hesse-Biber, 23). This was a reason for insecurity and gave reason for a woman to be critical when it came to her appearance. Eventually, women abandoned this way of dressing, removed their corsets, and welcomed the new style of the 1920’s. The 1920’s brought about a change of style for women, and a new ideal shape for a womans figure. During the 1920’s having the body of a prepubescent girl was the new trend due to the drop waist gowns and flapper dresses. In this era the fashion was a political statement; women dismissed corsets and shrugged on loose fitting dresses that showed off their shape to claim independence and display their rebelliousness ("1920s Fashion for Women") This helped to establish that clothing was a reflection of one’s self. When the 1950’s came along, a curvy physic became popular. Women wanted to look like actress Marilyn Monroe, full figured with large breasts and wide hips. Having bodacious curves like Monroe was …show more content…
“Many experts blame the rise in anorexia nervosa on the unrelenting focus in the popular media on young women’s appearance, especially the emphasis on thinness as an ideal,” (Robert Emery). Consumers are made to believe the secret to happiness lies with their body. Due to the concept of an ideal body image projected in magazines, films, and television, it promotes eating disorders. According to the Chan School of Public Health, “The average American encounters 3,000 advertisements every day… At the center of many of these ads is an image of idealized female beauty.” ("Advertising’s Toxic Effect on Eating and Body Image | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health"). This makes American women susceptible to the strong influence by the media, where they falsely advertise women by changing their body image with the use of technology to appear flawless in ads. “Previous studies have suggested that viewing images of underweight celebrities is associated with a less favorable body image and an aspiration to lose weight, and that these factors may lead to the development of eating disorders” (Yom-Tov and Boyd). Rosario Dawson, an actress featured on a 2011 issue of Shape spoke out about the comments she had received, “…I’m constantly telling girls all the time, ‘Everything’s airbrushed, everything’s retouched. None of us look like that,” Dawson claimed ("Rosario Dawson Talks Weight Loss and Body