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The Globalization Of Eating Disorders By Susan Bordo Analysis

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This critique is based on a passage written by Susan Bordo titled “The Globalization of Eating Disorders”. Susan, well-known feminist scholar and Pulitzer Prize nominee in this article describes the effects of imagery in media circles on the eating habits (eating disorders) of various individuals across numerous national, cultural, racial and social backgrounds. In her work, she talks about how individuals who otherwise would have had no issues with their appearance in terms of body weight are now seriously checking their diets in order to meet the “figure requirements” being paraded through various media outlets the world over. Supporting her assertion, she describes how prior to the introduction of television in Fiji, Fijian girls and women had no issues related with their size and eating habits( Bordo,year). However, within three years after the introduction of television, weight control suddenly became the order of the day.
Despite her claim implying that media is solely responsible for the wide spread of eating …show more content…
This is significant because it raises concerns about how the world is becoming a “global village” and therefore actions that were not significant or approved of before in some cultures are now acceptable. Its significance also has impacts on food production and health of individuals. This purpose is however not accurate as the author solely focuses the argument on socio-cultural influence of images causing eating disorders and not on other factors such as genetic vulnerability, a more complex cause which is currently being researched to ascertain the biological interaction of inherited genes. Also, the purpose fails to address psychological factors such as the individual’s self-esteem and the individual being the final decision maker when it comes to eating and how they perceive

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