Summary: The Influence Of Mass Media On Eating Disorders

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), the rates of eating disorders have been growing rapidly in the past two decades. Eating disorders are a growing problem due to society’s obsession with thinness and impact over 20 million women. They can have a drastic impact on one’s health, including consequences such as bone loss, kidney damage, and an abnormally slow heart rate (“Getting the Facts on Eating Disorders”). Furthermore, NEDA states that “females with anorexia between ages 15-24 are 12 times more likely to die from the illness than all other causes of death” (“The War on Women’s Bodies”). Therefore, with eating disorders having such dire consequences and drastically impacting young females, it is imperative that this topic is further researched in order to better understand and control the problem. …show more content…
Yet one newer contributing factor that is being examined is the role of the media and it’s influence on eating disorders. With the rates of eating disorders increasing since 1950, the contributing factors should be researched in order to develop and implement a solution. A literature review will be conducted to analyze the role of mass media sources including, television, magazines, and social media, in the development of eating disorders among females ages 15-25. I hypothesize that mass media sources, such as magazines, television and Facebook, has increased the rates of eating disorders among females between the ages of