Gazing at her incomplete reflection through the large mirror, tears of disgust began to swell in her eyes. In her mind, her body was damaged and flawed, for only in reality was she beautiful. Her disease provoked feelings of sadness and unworthiness. The image of her body was far from the slender shape it should be, reminding her of the differences between the majority of her peers. The American Anorexia Bulimia Association (AABA) states that five million Americans are affected by eating disorders, and that number continues to grow. Five to ten percent of women who are long-term anorexics die from the disease. In turn, anorexia, of all mental illnesses, has the highest death rate. Why, though, is anorexia causing so many deaths? How can we
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Americans are continually reminded of body image from most advertising sources. According to the author of The Influences of Mental Health and Culture on Weight and Eating Disorders, “In the 21st-century Americans are preoccupied with body image. They are constantly bombarded with images of thin, beautiful young woman and lean, muscular men in magazines, on billboards, on the Internet, on television, and in movies. Advertising implies that to be thin and beautiful is to be happy" (Wexler). Evidently, advertisements are created to attract customers to a product, company, or organization. However, these advertisements negatively affect America by increasing the standards to being skinny. The model’s physical body and smile may suspend the customer into thinking that to be skinny is to be happy. Specifically, models posing for beauty products lead to thoughts of envy, so the customers buy the product in hopes of adapting the characteristics of the model, such as their weight. Clearly, this strategy assists companies in gaining profits, yet the self-esteem of Americans lower, leading to eating disorders. Not only do advertisers misuse models, but performers and models also use their weight to their advantage. Role models for teenagers in America are portraying their preferred size as anorexic recalls the author for The National Centre for Eating Disorders: the ideal body size …show more content…
Bidwell, author for US News, argues, “People with certain rare gene mutations have significantly higher risks of developing an eating disorder. It has long been known that eating disorders run in families, but a new study finally pinpoints two genes that significantly increase a person's risk for developing anorexia nervosa and bulimia” (Bidwell). Eating disorders have recently been studied closely by professional researchers and scientists. New information has been released about two specific genes that cause anorexia and bulimia as well as the past fact that states gene mutations cause eating disorders. Society can not be blamed for this disease, for current exploration explains the likelihood of the eating disorders running through family genes. This information lacks the in-depth exploration of the various factors besides the genetic science. Changing the morals in society would dramatically decrease the rates of anorexia because eating disorders increase in severity through recent trends. University of Haifa conducted an experiment that showed the direct correlation between Facebook and poor body image; the more time a teenage girl spent on Facebook, the higher the risk of developing an eating disorder (Rojas). This experiment conducted proves one point; the culture influencing anorexia is not a myth, it is a fact.
Americans are continually reminded of body image from most advertising sources. According to the author of The Influences of Mental Health and Culture on Weight and Eating Disorders, “In the 21st-century Americans are preoccupied with body image. They are constantly bombarded with images of thin, beautiful young woman and lean, muscular men in magazines, on billboards, on the Internet, on television, and in movies. Advertising implies that to be thin and beautiful is to be happy" (Wexler). Evidently, advertisements are created to attract customers to a product, company, or organization. However, these advertisements negatively affect America by increasing the standards to being skinny. The model’s physical body and smile may suspend the customer into thinking that to be skinny is to be happy. Specifically, models posing for beauty products lead to thoughts of envy, so the customers buy the product in hopes of adapting the characteristics of the model, such as their weight. Clearly, this strategy assists companies in gaining profits, yet the self-esteem of Americans lower, leading to eating disorders. Not only do advertisers misuse models, but performers and models also use their weight to their advantage. Role models for teenagers in America are portraying their preferred size as anorexic recalls the author for The National Centre for Eating Disorders: the ideal body size …show more content…
Bidwell, author for US News, argues, “People with certain rare gene mutations have significantly higher risks of developing an eating disorder. It has long been known that eating disorders run in families, but a new study finally pinpoints two genes that significantly increase a person's risk for developing anorexia nervosa and bulimia” (Bidwell). Eating disorders have recently been studied closely by professional researchers and scientists. New information has been released about two specific genes that cause anorexia and bulimia as well as the past fact that states gene mutations cause eating disorders. Society can not be blamed for this disease, for current exploration explains the likelihood of the eating disorders running through family genes. This information lacks the in-depth exploration of the various factors besides the genetic science. Changing the morals in society would dramatically decrease the rates of anorexia because eating disorders increase in severity through recent trends. University of Haifa conducted an experiment that showed the direct correlation between Facebook and poor body image; the more time a teenage girl spent on Facebook, the higher the risk of developing an eating disorder (Rojas). This experiment conducted proves one point; the culture influencing anorexia is not a myth, it is a fact.