The Role of Self and Culture in Anorexia (Essay Sample)

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The role of self and culture in Anorexia
Introduction
The Ministry of Education(2000, p.13) defines anorexia(anorexia nervosa) as failure to sustain body weight on or over the minimum of the standard weight for height and body physique. According to Rayner, anorexia is a disturbing eating disorder that affects those who have adopted deeds termed as bringing self-induced starvation. The sickness affects both men and women. However, it is more prevalent in young women and those in middle or upper class. Researchers put the number of women affected to be 1 out of every 200 (Rayner 100).According to Wozniak, Rekleiti and Roupa anorexia nervosa manifests at a degree of 80-85%, in women aged between 12-25 years old. Mainly in those with upper-class lifestyle, in whose career a good shape and slimness are seen as a necessary requirement, whereas the slight male proportion that are affected by anorexia nervosa adopt obsessive exercising (20). According to Hesse-Biber, Leavy and Quinn(p. 208) anorexia mostly affects women because of their susceptibility to the cultural models of beauty and fitness. The desire to abide by these societal notions of beauty can become so powerful to the extent that some may cultivate a misguided sense of how their bodies should look or look. Rayners suggests that both self-image and cultural pressure work hand in hand in the acquisition of anorexia.
 
Role of Self in progressing Anorexia
Wozniak, Rekleiti and Roupa(p. 259) share the conviction that anorexia nervosa appears to be a response to the stresses of teens for more individuality and better social and sexual engagements. The desire to be unique from peers and look like the models idealized by the media sows the seeds of discontentment with their appearance. They adopt extreme measures to achieve their goal of being appealing. These measures include Food deprivation and starvation (Ministry of Education).
Persons affected or about to be affected by Anorexia exhibit three psychological characteristics (Rayner). First is a powerful and unfounded fear of body fat and weight gain. Secondly, there is a desire to get thinner and thinner. Finally, they have a false perception of body weight and shape to the extent they deprive themselves of food so as to look thin. Rayner points out that certain behaviors in people can act as warning signs that anorexia is creeping in. These include:
Desire to shed weight within a small time frame
According to Frazer, this is the first stage of anorexia. As a person puts more effort on shedding weight they actually achieve their goal more successfully than the regular dieters. Praise pouring in from age mates and family members consolidate the feelings of achieving an ideal body shape and weight. As a result, losing weight becomes a fixation (Hopton 2011).
Dressing in oversized clothes to hide body shape
Frazer points out that this may be a way of showing fear. Anorexic people have a feeling of inadequacy which shapes their view of the world (Hopton 2011).In order to shed this fear, they go to the extent of wanting to control everything around them thus creating a ‘perfect personality.' They also have a thing with foods that contain fats (Ministry of Education).
Preoccupation with endless exercise.
According to Frazer exercising, comes impulsively because no amount of weight loss seems enough. Ironically, the more an anorexic exercises, the more she feels plumper. There develops an acute fear of getting fatter. As a result they measure their weight more often just to satisfy themselves that they keep track of their weight.
Control of appetite using diet pills or ipecac syrup which can cause sudden death.
Avoiding interacting with other people
According to Frazer, an anorexic does not like spending time with family members or friends. This feeling of wanting to be alone might be due to the fear that those close to them would push them to eat more food which is against their primary objective of losing weight. In the presence of other people, they exhibit strange food eating habits like shifting a plate with food just to convince oneself that it has been eaten (Rayner). They take a defensive stance if they are told of their condition because they feel other people are just envious of their shape and looks. They disregard any advice given to them because of an inborn belief that they are right (Frazer). Even after taking food, they give self-demeaning declarations and see themselves as worthless resulting in low self-esteem. They are always in search of approvals from people. 
Forfeiture of three successive menstrual periods in females and low-sex drive in males.
Young people with anorexia often encounter problems during menstruation, have a weak immune system, abdominal and heart complications and hormonal imbalances that can escalate dejection and stress levels (Ministry of Education)

Role of Culture in spread of Anorexia
According to Frazer , (Frazer 2006) the primary causes of anorexia are social in nature. Frazer blames the fashion industry and its advertising strategy. He argues that the industry has created an unprecedented amount of competition among women for physical perfection by publicizing the desired shape of a woman. Many women who feel they do not match these standards begin to hate themselves and strive to look appealing. They become victims of anorexia while chasing the dream of being a perfect woman.
According to Ellison (Frazer) poverty levels as a cultural factor plays a role in the spread of anorexia. Underprivileged women from Europe and America are less affected compared to privileged women because they have no time to worry about their looks. Those that live an upper-class lifestyle are more often affected because they monitor mainstream media coverage of fashion and looks. Ellison goes further to point out that sexual orientation for men influences anorexia albeit on a small scale. It is less likely for heterosexual men to become anorexic compared to homosexuals. Wozniak, Rekleiti and Roupa (p.258) are of the opinion that anorexic teenagers are more likely to have lost a close relative, or that they have been victims of abuse. Relevant studies determine that 1/3 of anorexic victims suffered from sexual abuse since they share the same features with the sexually abused victims such as little self-regard, feelings of embarrassment and despising their bodies and that of the opposite sex.
According to Levenkron (Frazer) teenage girls, desperately strive to leave a mark that can link with them. Unfortunately, they do so on their own because their family and caregivers rarely intervene to show them how to become fully-grown. According to Wozniak, Rekleiti and Roupa(p.259) the contemporary culture undermines family ties and cuts the period spent among parents and children. The children have nowhere else to go other than the media for emotional accomplishment (Hopton 2011). What...