I quote David Rosen, clinical associate professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases at the U-M Health System. “I think that in the public’s view of mental health conditions, many people think depression kills more people because they commit suicide, or that schizophrenia kills people because people who are psychotic sometimes do very dangerous things.”The reality is that eating disorders kill more people than all of the other mental health conditions combined.” (Murray, 2008)
Eating disorders are health problems that affect the population. The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. People suffering from anorexia nervosa have the desire to be thin, leading to voluntary starvation. Bulimia on the other hand, is a disorder in which the person eats a lot and then eliminates the food by self induced vomiting, laxatives, fasting or excessive exercise. (Murray, 2008) Anorexia and Bulimia can be seen to be largely social diseases of affluence. Hence in this essay, I will examine eating disorders as a result of social influences.
The rise in the number of people suffering from eating disorders is largely a result of the mass media and globalization. Television advertisements and popular shows portray thin people as the ideal form of beauty. To some the pursuit of the ideal beauty becomes an obsession and results in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, with binging and purging becoming daily habits. These people do not realize that if these disorders remain untreated, they may become fatal.
I relate this to socialization and the concept of the ‘looking- glass self’. Young people, especially students, feel the need to belong, and are conscious of what other people think of their physical appearances. This is where the ‘looking-glass self’ comes into play, which is the imagination of how one appears in a particular mind, and the kind of self feeling one has, determined by the attitude. They see themselves reflected in other people’s behaviour towards them. (Cooley, 2001: 293) With the portrayal of popular beauty in the mass media, along with socialization further emphasizing the idea, people feel the need to be thin, which could lead to eating disorders. Young people are easily influenced and are especially susceptible to suffering from eating disorders. However, it is not just limited to middle class or affluent teenage girls as popularly perceived, who appear obsessed with grades, relationships and having the perfect body. Although much fewer in number, males do suffer from eating disorders too. According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, today researchers find that for every four females with anorexia, there is one male, and for every 8-11 females with bulimia, there is one male.
Another reason for eating disorders, for women, is the great pressure to make others pleased by controlling their physical appearances. Women today have to meet the requirements of both professional and traditional roles. Such eating disorders can be seen to be the extreme point of reaction towards such role conflicts. (Moorey, 1991:57)
In more affluent countries, as a result of globalization, there is a large range of food available for choice from all parts of the world. Increased choice, exposure to healthy living and the increased importance apportioned to aesthetics has resulted in dietary choices, which could be fraught with anxiety. Some people may end up being obsessed with eating less fat, or the healthier choice, which might eventually lead to eating disorders.
Eating disorders can arise as a result of multiple reasons, such as when people encounter major life transitions and fear change, feeling a loss of control. Failure at school, work or a traumatic event could also result in eating disorders, which might appear to be an escape from these feelings. They may appear to be largely reasons as a result of the individual. However, I believe these are also a result of social factors that affect the individual, as individuals fear how they appear to society.
As can be seen, eating disorders are largely a result of social influences. Society influences how we think, act and behave. As a result, sometimes people feel a loss of control or the need to be included as a result of societal pressures. This might lead to health problems such as eating disorders.
References:
Cooley, Charles Horton (2001), ‘Looking-Glass Self’ in The Production of Reality, Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Moorey, James. (1991). Anorexia and Bulimia, Manchester : Manchester Uni. Press
Murray, Bob (2008) Recent News and Research into Sociology and Social Issues. http://www.upliftprogram.com/h_social_01.html
