Pressures that Makes People Anorexic
Anorexia nervosa, sometimes called simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder that is associated with fatal consequences. This disorder has become more serious over the past years therefore calling for an immediate action. Individuals who are suffering from this disorder sometimes restrict their amount of food consumption, which can lead to starvation. Even though they perceive themselves to be overweight, they actually get thin and malnourished as time goes by. Some individuals also stop eating, believing that their lives can be better if only they were thinner. It is always is difficult to determine the exact cause of anorexia. However, there are pressures from social media, post-traumatic experience as well as the desire to establish self-control contributes to the development of anorexia nervosa.
Social Media Pressures
According to the recent studies, exposure to social media plays a critical role in the influence of peoples eating habits as well as the development of anorexia. Social media indeed possess some positive impacts on society. For instance, it is one of the most excellent communication tools we have in this generation. Social media have indeed changed the way we interact or engage with one another. By no surprise, it has made its way into every classroom, dinner table, and workplace. In as much as social media helps facilitate communication and interaction, it also creates an environment which leads to body image concerns. For instance, there is a wide range of image-driven social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and snapchat, among others (Meczekalski et al. 216).
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Another most significant concern for social media is that it can sometimes be a hotbed for cyberbullying among individuals. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that takes place online, especially in social media. It is easier to infiltrate a person’s day to day lifestyle through the use of social media. A survey by the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) indicates that about 60 per cent of individuals suffering from anorexia say that bullying contributed to their condition. In most cases, an individual can be a victim of cyberbullying due to his or her body shape or any other element related to their physical appearance. Bullying can always lead to tremendous influences, especially on young people. For instance, everyone wants to receive positive compliments once they update their picture on social media. However, if the individual posts photos and receives negative criticism and is being bullied probably because he or she is overweight, they are more likely to develop poor eating habits. The feeling of being unworthy or inadequate and shame makes such people start skipping meals more often or binge eating to cope up with the pain.
It is true that the use of social media has increased with the advancement of technology. This has made it accessible for teens and young adults to access the internet and access their social media accounts with a lot of ease. Therefore, individuals are capable of following and even interacting with a variety of models, peers and other influencers. The problems, however, begins when these individuals start to relentlessly compare themselves with the thin celebrities and begin to feel inadequate about their own self-image. As such, they might start looking for ways which include unhealthy eating patterns to achieve the ‘Perfect body shape.’
Body objectification is also another crucial concern regarding social media. In several occasions, the number of likes and comments people receive after posting their pictures or videos on social media greatly determines how one seeks validation. To some extent, it is sometimes used to show self-worth. Taking oneself photographs, otherwise known as selfies, usually sends a message that our beauty and body determine our worth. Such a message, however, can make people struggle with eating disorders.
Pressures due to Posttraumatic Experiences
Exposure to traumatic events is also another pressure that significantly contributes to the onset of anorexia nervosa. Trauma may always come from all direction. At some point in life, one may often experience some kinds of trauma. This includes witnessing a brutal murder loss of a loved one, or even experiencing any other kind of events such as war, sexual violation, natural calamities or traumatic medical complication. According to experts, traumatic events have been found to be a significant risk factor for developing psychiatric disorders, including eating disorders such as anorexia (Fazeli and Anne 43). In as much as children are the most affected with trauma, adults also fall victims and can as well have their eating habits affected.
According to a recent report by the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), it was found that the majority of women and men suffering from anorexia nervosa alongside other eating disorders reported a history of interpersonal trauma. What’s more, it was also found that women who reported sexual trauma were more likely to exhibit abnormal eating behaviors. In most cases, trauma often causes a disruption in the regular operation of the nervous system. This makes it difficult for individual victims to manage their emotions, and therefore, they develop anorexic conditions in order to achieve their uncomfortable feelings.
In addition, some individuals may be undergoing specific kinds of trauma caused by their body conditions. For instance, people who suffer from sexual trauma can sometimes lead to body image issues. Individuals may fall victims of traumatic experiences such as rape and cannot defend themselves or escape from such dangers simply because of their body overweight. When such happens, they can feel powerless or out of control (Halse et al. 98). At some point, they can engage in self-destructive behaviors as a way to maintain control while distancing themselves from the pain. Others may wish to be thin to reduce their attractiveness as well as vulnerability to future harm. Therefore this heightened fear of witnessing the same trauma in future can make the overweight victims to develop anorexic conditions.
Furthermore, after experiencing traumatic experience, it is often typical for an individual to feel frightened, anxious and disconnected to the society. However, the feeling of loneliness can sometimes prolong and fail to fade away. A person, therefore, can feel stuck in the sense of danger and painful memories for longer than expected. When this happens, individuals may want to engage in activities that help them numb the paint. Some may engage in excessive eating (bulimic conditions) while others may decide to stay out of food and eventually starve. This habit can be a threat to a person’s health. Therefore, such individuals need to get medical assistance as fast as possible.
Pressures from Culture and lifestyle
Culture is one of the etiological factors and forces that leads to the development of eating disorders. Cultural influences more so in the western countries have significantly impacted on eating habits. Majority of women and girls are becoming anorexic in their attempt to attain thin body size suitable for modelling. According to sociologists, the ideal meaning for beauty has greatly changed over time. These days, ladies perceive a perfect beauty as to have a slim body shape (Fazeli and Anne 65). This is contrary to the old times where thinness was considered attractive. Until the late 1970s, curvy and plump body shapes were the only accepted body type. However, with the onset of advanced technology, people are becoming more and more exposed to the internet and social media. Due to this, they are flooded with lots of commercials as well as media advertisements. Majority of these adverts and commercials contains female characters who are underweight while their male counterparts showed as strong and sturdy. The slim ladies are shown on televisions, magazines and movies, therefore, influences the young ladies. At this point, the young females begin to think that being thin makes them successful, happy and worthy.
Nonetheless, the reality is that the media, in general, presents an unrealistic fantasy version of reality and perfect. These images, therefore, are unconsciously rooted in our thoughts. With such an idea in mind, people tend to develop poor eating habits so as to achieve the desired beauty. The pressure to be thin can lead to intense dieting in both the young and the old, which in turn facilitate the onset of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.
In some cases, professions and sporting activities also require specific body type. This also can indirectly encourage the onset of anorexia disorder. Some of the notable sports that emphasis on the thin body include ballet, modelling, running, figure skating and swimming.
Another cultural pressure that may contribute to anorexic conditions, especially among children is family attitude or dynamics. There are those family who put a lot of focus on high achievement, being perfect or are concerned about physical appearance. An overprotective family makes a child to stand a high chance of developing poor eating habits. The child may be afraid of disappointing his/her parents and may lack that harmony within the family.
Besides, people may restrict their diets due to fear of being overweight as well as the associated ailments such as blood pressure and diabetes. This scenario is much common in families where a member (s) is suffering from overweight related diseases. Having extra weight makes an individual more likely to have high blood pressure as well as heightened cholesterol levels. These conditions often lead to heart diseases or even stroke. Therefore, people may want to avoid these diseases by restricting their diets. Those with patients suffering from such diseases in their family may even tend to lose too much weight in order to lower the risk of developing diseases (Miller 532). Diabetes type 2 and colon cancer are also other chronic diseases linked to overweight. Therefore, individuals who had these genes running down their family would want to starve as much as possible to keep such conditions a distance. Unfortunately, in their effort to prevent such ailments, they might as well become anorexic. For such people, they should always observe a balanced diet. Also, they should engage in regular physical exercise to keep themselves as healthy as possible.
According to some pundits, some psychological pressures may increase the chance of an individual developing anorexic condition. For instance, someone suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may sometimes be more predisposed to the observation of a strict diet. Studies show that about two-thirds of individuals with OCD also suffer from eating disorders. Also, people suffering from OCD, the rate of being anorexic is between 25% and 69% (Sonenklar 77). As such, it is thought that eating disorders and anxiety disorders share some similar characters that contribute to their development. Both of the individuals suffering from diseases often experience compulsive behaviors and intrusive thoughts. When a person with OCD has obsessions and compulsions about specific areas in their life, they are more likely to experience symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Studies have also confirmed that people who experience OCD in their earlier childhood life often stand a higher chance of becoming anorexic during their later stages of life.
Conclusion
Anorexia nervosa is a severe life-threatening eating disorder that needs to be addressed. We can conclude that pressures from social media, past traumatic experiences and events as well as the desire to establish self-control make people more vulnerable to anorexia nervosa. Sociocultural pressures indeed play an essential role in the attitudes about weight as well as body perceptions. Due to the unrealistic thinness presented by western cultures through social media platforms, people have developed a notion that being thin is the ideal perfect body for everyone. Also, sometimes people fear weight gain in order to avoid contracting chronic diseases associated with body weight or avoid being victims of traumatic events. These pressures increase the risk factor and the vulnerability of individuals developing anorexia nervosa.
Works Cited
Fazeli, Pouneh, K., and Anne Klibanski. "Anorexia nervosa and bone metabolism." Bone 66 (2014): 39-45.
Halse Christine, Desiree Boughtwood and Anne Honey. Inside Anorexia: The Experiences of Girls and their Families. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2007.
Meczekalski, Blazej, Agnieszka Podfigurna-Stopa, and Krzysztof Katulski. "Long-term consequences of anorexia nervosa." Maturitas 75.3 (2013): 215-220.
Miller, Karen Klahr. "Endocrine effects of anorexia nervosa." Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics 42.3 (2013): 515-528.
Sonenklar, Carol. Anorexia and Bulimia. Minnesota: Twenty-First Century Books, 2010.
