“I think I've heard all of the fat
jokes. It got to the point that I was scared to go to school. The kids were
really mean. They actually HATED me because I was fat,” stated Laurie, one of
many teens who have anonymously told their story regarding their struggle with
an eating disorder on an online blog. Many young adults, similar to Laurie, have
heard at least once in their life time a negative statement about their body
image. Although every individual’s response is different towards discouraging
opinions, eating disorders are greatly influenced by the social media in the
Western culture and are not caused solely by inheritance.
Eating disorders, such as anorexia
nervosa and bulimia, are greatly influenced by society and are not just caused
by genetics passed down from one generation to the next. It is not what a child
can possibly inherit from their parents’ genetic material that is the sole
contributor to a psychological disorder. A surrounding community of people in the
twenty first century who constantly practice and preach that the “number on a
scale and fitting into a smaller dress size” is what makes a person genuinely
“happy” can encourage anyone to do whatever it takes to become skinny (Thompson).
Having an eating disorder, however, can be caused by genetics passed down
from a single parent or both of the parents to a child.
“For years, especially recently, the entertainment and marketing
industries have been blamed for causing eating disorders... The general opinion
is that the constant bombardment of images and commercials portraying the ‘perfect’
skinny body makes young girls feel inadequate... But new research points the
finger in a completely different direction” (“The Role of Genetics in Eating Disorders”).
A majority of people,
especially scientists, would like to deem genetics as the only thing that causes an eating disorder. Research has proven,
however, that the surrounding environment has a huge effect on a person’s
mentality and plays a huge role in adapting something such as anorexia nervosa
or bulimia.
Generally, it is assumed that there are
three factors that contribute to having an eating disorder: Biological,
psychological, and environmental. Biological factors are caused by genetics
from which people have the tendency to strive for attributes such as
perfectionism, sensitivity, and perseverance (“Anorexia nervosa: Causes”). Such
attributes, however, does not directly lead to a person becoming anorexic or
bulimic in order to become excessively thin. It can just as easily instigate a
person to feel the need to constantly keep everything clean, organized a
certain way, to have a specific routine, et cetera. Psychologically, some
people “have obsessive-compulsive personality traits that make it easier to
stick to strict diets and forgo food despite being hungry”, making it easier if
a person has the desire to become extremely thin (“Anorexia nervosa: Causes”).
Environmentally, “dieting has become an obsession in North America… Many of the
diets on the market right now are also unhealthy. They deprive you of the
proper nutrition your body needs to survive and these diets can lead to health
problems” (Thompson).
Experts have discovered that two chromosomes,
specifically known as “1 and 10”, are directly linked to eating disorders.
Further studies have “determined that genetics accounts for 56 percent of a
person's likelihood to develop an eating disorder” (“The Role of Genetics in
Eating Disorders”). This has proven that eating disorders can be heritable- and
possibly the main reason for taking unhealthy actions to become excessively
thin- but it is does not prove that genetics is the only cause (“Genetics and
Biology”).
Additional research has revealed that
serotonin levels- a brain chemical involved in depression- may have an
influence in acquiring anorexia nervosa or bulimia. It can pass genetically
from one family member to another, contributing to a family history of eating
disorders, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more (“Genetics and Biology”). The
brain chemical can affect the emotional state of a human and their reaction to
certain situations, causing some to strive for flawlessness in order to lessen
their or other’s negative view of their body. That sense of perfection,
however, is influenced by the media in the Western culture which encourages
thinness and associates it with things such as “success” and “worth” (“Anorexia
nervosa: Causes”).
Genetics, such as low or high levels
of serotonin, passed down from generation to generation can instigate
“obsessive-compulsive personality”- a contributing factor in having an eating disorder-
but Western culture encourages the desire to be excessively thin and claims
that it is what will make “you happy” (Thompson). If genetics play a key role
in having an eating disorder, “the discovery that some people may be
genetically pre-disposed … means that treatment programs could be developed
more specifically, and … can be used to alleviate the feeling of shame …
counselors can use that information to help patients work through the negative
feelings that make recovery much more difficult” (“The Role of Genetics in
Eating Disorders”).
The question is: What causes people
to perform such unhealthy eating habits, such as starvation? Eating disorders
are a sign of emotional insecurity over one’s body. Feelings cannot be
necessarily triggered by a few genes originated from a previous carrier.
Emotions are widely manipulated by the senses, such as: sight (visuals and
images) and hearing (harsh words). In
the twenty first century, society’s expectations are for everything to happen
quickly, causing starvation and puking to appear as more appealing when they
see how quickly one can lose weight as compared to a healthy diet and moderate
exercise which can take over a year. Although chromosomes 1 and 10 and
serotonin can cause an individual to have the symptoms of an eating disorder, the
social media influences the emotions caused by two of the five senses that can contribute
to a negative views of one’s bodies which can then cause a person to take
drastic measures to achieve the ‘perfect, size- 0 body’.
According to an article titled “Media
Influence”, public figures and models have gradually decreased in size whereas
dieting companies and their diet-related products have rapidly increased in
their annual revenues throughout the years. Thompson, author of the article,
blames society and the media for encouraging the youth of today that “the only
way they can be accepted and fit in, is if they are thin”. She explains that
dieting and image has become an obsession in Western culture- it is displayed
on magazine racks at the store, flashed across almost every commercial on a
television screen, implied in shows and films, and even encouraged among our
peers. Thompson states that young adults have resorted “to starving, vomiting
and eating only diet foods to try and be thin” due to their environmental
surrounding’s influence on their lifestyle choices.
Many young adults and even children
have had to go to counseling for help when it comes to accepting their body
image, but even trained specialists appear as if they do not understand their
situation.
“I … had a counselor at my after-school YMCA program make an example of
me. She told some other kids that she used to be as big as me. It really hurt
me too. Someone who was there to watch over me and make sure I was okay wanted
to hurt me in front of other children. I hated my weight” (Laurie).
Eating disorders are not something that a simple pill or a
therapist can easily fix. The message that “thin is everything” needs to be put
to an end, and instead people need to be constantly told that “size does not
matter”. Value your body and live a healthy lifestyle that includes eating
everything in moderation.
Adults are the ones who are to blame
for our generation’s negative view of their own bodies. They are the ones who
are constantly trying out new weight loss programs, taking every diet pill they
can afford, allowing companies to advertise pictures of models who have
absolutely no fat on their bodies, and so much more. “We… need to teach our
children to be proud of whom they are. We need to remind them that people come
in all shapes and sizes, and we need to teach them to accept everyone for who
they are. Parents need to also teach their children the value of healthy eating
and not send the message that being thin is important” (Thompson).
The social media in the Western
Culture seems to have a negative impact on an individual’s views of their own
bodies which can lead to anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Although genetics can contribute
to an eating disorder, it is not the heritage of a child that is the sole
contributor to a psychological disorder. It is their surrounding environment of
things and people that ultimately encourage them to be as thin as possible-
even if that means to do so in an unhealthy manner. People are the ones who
encourage the social media to continue to display images of thin models,
actors/ actresses, and help promote diet products through continued purchases.
“Stop buying those fashion magazines and diet products, and stop believing all
the lies being told to you by the fashion and diet industries. Instead, focus
on learning to love and accept yourself” (Thompson).
Works Cited
“Genetics and Biology.”
The Something Fishy Website on Eating Disorders.
N.p., 2007. Web. 24 March 2013.
Laurie. “My Story- My
Struggle.” Eating Disorders, Disordered
Culture. UC Davis, n.d. Web. 24
March 2013.
Mayo Clinic Staff.
“Anorexia nervosa: Causes.” Mayo Clinic.
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education
and Research, 10 Aug. 2012. Web. 24 March 2013.
“Media Influence.” Rader Programs. N.p., 2013. Web. 24
March 2013.
“The Role of Genetics
in Eating Disorders.” Eating Disorders.
Eating Disorders Venture, LLC, 2006.
Web. 24 March 2013.
Thompson, Colleen.
“Society and Eating Disorders.” Eating
Disorders: Mirror, Mirror. N.p., 21 March
2013. Web. 24 March 2013.
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