The Role of Media in the Treatment and Prevention of Anorexia (Research Paper Sample)

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Anorexia: The Role of the Media
Anorexia: The Role of the Media
Introduction
The term ‘Anorexia’ is a psychological eating disorder characterized by extreme weight loss, self-starvation and lack of appetite. People suffering from anorexia have an illogical fear of gaining weight. This condition which primarily affects the youth leads to a disturbing perception of becoming obese and therefore tend to have difficulties in serving needs such as hunger. There are two types of anorexia namely: anorexia nervosa purge type and restrictive anorexia nervosa. The purge or binge type results in vomiting or excessively exercising in compensation of guilt after eating CITATION Wal13 \l 2057 (Walsh, Cordova, & Malloys, 2013) CITATION Vic16 \l 2057 (Victoria, 2016). On the other hand, restrictive anorexia nervosa a victim limits the quantity of food intake and slowly starves him or herself. Ancient studies on the role of media in anorexia mainly focused on weight loss in actresses and models. However, over a period of time there has been a significant increase in weight mostly in women creating discrepancy between the media and the normal body size.
Magazines and television shows creates a social context contributing to body discontent and disordered eating habits in females. While comparing pressures on men and women it has been confirmed that women’s magazines contains 10.5 as many diet advertisements. Media exalts a slender ideal and emphasizes its importance in general appearance. Beauty industry holds a solid emphasis on the value of beauty and appearance in women CITATION Kil94 \l 2057 (Kilbourne & Wooley, 1994). Plenty of evidence demonstrates how the media glorifies slenderness and weight loss. For instance, research shows that 83% of girls in adolescence read fashion magazines for an average of four hours per week CITATION Lev96 \l 2057 (Levine & Smolak, 1996) .
In one of the survey, most middle-aged women mostly wish if it would be possible to change their weight. A number of studies probing the correlation between media, eating disorders and body discontent shows a direct connection between media exposure and body satisfaction CITATION Spe04 \l 2057 (Spettigue & Henderson, Feb 2004). Results shows that the female body satisfaction is lower after viewing shrill media images than after viewing controlled ones. This supports the theory that media maintains and promotes the discontent that females experience about their bodies CITATION Gro02 \l 2057 (Groez, Levine, & SK, 2002).
Media has a role to play in the maintenance of eating disorders. Women with anorexia tend to engage themselves in heavy use of fashion magazines in an attempt to obtain an indefinable and impossible standard of physical thinness. These magazines support the anorexic desire by promoting messages that encourage dieting and slenderness. Media literacy increases awareness, teaches girls in puberty how to decode visual images. Researchers have suggested treatment programs for eating disorders to incorporate media literacy to help address the patients’ deficits in social skills and self-esteem. Most media literature focuses in activism and advocacy in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders CITATION Lev961 \l 2057 (Levine, Smolak, & Schermer, Media Analysis and Resistance, 1996).
Conclusion
The media surrounds us with images which have negative impact on body satisfaction, eating patterns and emotional well-being of most women in Europe. Media literacy, activism and advocacy should be used in prevention and treatment of eating disorders. Professionals should use media to advocate for positive and self-esteem building messages. Future researchers should come up with new ways to counter act the negative effects of the media to promote body satisfaction and improve self-esteem in ...