Thoughts on Eating Disorders: Causes and Influences

Media Crossing a THIN Line

When’s the last time you glanced at a fashion ad? Shopped online? Opened an entertainment magazine? Watched your favorite TV series? Went on Instagram? Odds are, you were exposed to the media’s portrayal of the good looking, the desirable, the in-style, or simply, the idea of beauty. As discussed in my previous blog post, there is more to the development of eating disorders than media effects; such as emotional, biological and psychological factors. But when we are constantly exposed to media, an impossible, unattainable expectation of beauty, is it fair to say that social networks can make a harsh impact on individuals and their self-image? The reality is young, impressionable adolescents are given unrealistic ideas of what beautiful is through media and social networks, which may in turn harm one's self-worth or even influence a distorted body image or an eating disorder.

In a study done by Harvard Medical School, young girls in Fiji, where TV is few and far in-between, were compared to more urban, western cultures. The more urban, westernized girls were 60% more likely to show disordered eating. This is an example of how the saturation of a media medium can have an impact on the rate of eating disorders in a society. Consider the exposure of TV, music videos, magazines and advertisements that we absorb daily.  In the media, you only see the perfect, happy, successful people, not the pre-Photoshopped, natural, real life content. Even super model Cindy Crawford was once quoted saying, “Even I don’t wake up looking like Cindy Crawford.”

Not to mention, social networks and the internet’s accessibility enable so many the ability to post, share, see and say almost they please. On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, etc., triggering media is very prevalent and dangerously spreadable. Even more dangerous, perhaps, is the content on social networks, or online in general, that promotes and encourages a self destructive and disordered lifestyle. Unfortunately, if you type in ‘thinspo’ to the search bar of Instagram, Google, or even Twitter, you are given endless options to explore images which glorify the state of being thin. Or perhaps you have heard the term ‘ProAna’? Again, this is an idea that motivates people to obtain extreme thinness. More specifically, it promotes anorexia and gives tips, tricks, and inspiration to starve, to restrict, and to strive for bones.

In a society where models are hired to be hangers and where “thinspiration” has become a search engine normality, media and social networks could very well be a negative and destructive influence on an individuals self image and even mental and psychical health. At my lowest, sickest weight, girls at school would comment on my appearance and compliment my thinness, but now having gained 25 lbs., I feel better than ever! The pressure to be perfect by the media and encouraged on social networks is a dangerous line, but just being aware of its affect and unrealistic attainability can help society see the truth.

Eating Disorders: More Than Meets the Eye

            “You aren’t fooling anyone,” she wrote. I had come home to find a letter from my sister. “Shallow” was how she described my behavior. I continued to read in disbelief.  I wasn’t anorexic and you can’t just throw accusations out like that anyways, I thought. But little did I know, four years, five counselors, and about 90 lbs. (lost and gained total) later, that she was right? Is it fair to say that an eating disorder is “shallow”? When a mental disorder so serious are degraded to be seen as a personal life style choice motivated by looks, individuals dealing with this disorder may feel misunderstood and offended. In reality, there is a lot more to this disorder than what some may think as wanting to be thin or wanting attention. In a society where so much emphasis has been put on weight and looks, more people should be informed about the different components such as behavioral, biological, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, and social factors that play a role in the development of eating disorders.

As said by the National Eating Disorders Association, “While eating disorders may first appear to be solely about food and weight preoccupations, those suffering from them often try to use food and the control of food to cope with feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming.” Issues such as having experienced traumatic events, perfectionism or emotional struggles are triggers that some people try to cope with through eating disordered behavior. Sometimes people develop eating disorders when they feel a lack of control or security in their life. I know from my own experience, as well as getting to know others with eating disorders; many times it’s not the idea of food or weight that makes eating feel scary or bad. It can be other emotional complexities. For someone who has not dealt with such an issue, it may be a difficult concept to grasp.  One may think: “Why cope with emotions that way?” But the same can be said for someone using other destructive coping methods such as cutting or alcoholism. When you haven’t been in someone’s position, it’s hard to understand exactly why or how people resort to such habits, but it should be known that emotional complexities could be a serious battle for some in their eating disorder.

From a biological standpoint, some people may not be aware of the role genetics plays in eating disorders. It’s commonly found that eating disorders can pass through generations. Even in my own case, upon my admission to an impatient treatment center, my mom opened up to me and admitted she too had struggled with disordered eating in her young adulthood. She even expressed that through the years; she noticed behaviors and tendencies of my personality that lead her to believe one day I may have some variation of this disorder. According to “Abnormal Psychology” published by Pearson, brain abnormalities such as an imbalance of serotonin have been shown to affect mood, appetite, eating patterns, and obsessiveness. After years of consciously being aware of my disordered, negative and obsessive thought patterns and despite my skeptic attitude towards medication, I can tell a major difference upon being prescribed an anti-depressant designed to aid in low serotonin levels. The fact that biological factors have a significant role in the predisposition to developing an eating disorder is many times not acknowledged, but should be made more aware of.

Another thought to keep in mind is that, many times, other psychological factors such as stress, loneliness or anxiety, lead to or assist in an eating disorder. From my time spent at the treatment center, I remember many of the other adolescents were suffering with depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder alongside their eating disorder. Not to mention, most all of them had appeared to have major self-esteem issues, myself included. And to counter argue a common assumption, not all the adolescents were girls either. Beyond fearing weight gain or doughnuts, there can be deeper, more serious fears and anxieties that affect one’s well-being and food rituals. Someone may feel an eating disorder is a desperate attempt to lose weight and satisfy a self-image issue, but for someone with an eating disorder, it may be a very serious inner self-hatred, lack of self-respect, hate for life or overwhelming guilt. There are many psychological determinants that can initiate the possibility of an eating disorder.

It’s understandable that many times eating disorders are misjudged, stereotyped, generalized, or simply, misunderstood. Of course every person’s diagnosis, situation and cause is different, but it is important for others, nonetheless, to be aware that this disorder is not all about weight, looks, or attention. Even for those closest to you, it can be hard to comprehend the onset and reasoning. Even my own father questioned, “But why can’t she just eat?” Though media, society, and self-image may be a piece of the puzzle, eating disorders have a deeper emotional, biological and psychological roots than some may not be aware of.