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Hello Everyone.
In my english class we were assigned a research paper, with a list of 75 topics to choose from. I would like to share my paper with you, and request your feed back. Is anything unfairly portrayed? Is the wording repetitive? Tell me!
You can ignore the names and numbers in parenthases as they are just refrences to where the information came from, and will be listed at the end of my final draft.
Also, sorry about the random double and single spacing haha, my computer had issues copying it.
Please, I know its long, but if you could take the time to read the whole thing and provide feedback it would be greatly appreciated!
WARNING: Could be possibly triggering. If you are on the edge, I do not recommend reading this.
Topic: Are eating disorders a serious problem among today's youth?
Every day, men and women are bombarded with images of happy, thin people. They are seen everywhere: in the movies, on television, and in magazines. As time goes by, we are made to believe that we are supposed to look like they do. Things like this make the media one of the biggest causes of eating disorders. Eating Disorders are a serious problem among todays youth, and unless action is taken, then trend will just continue to intensify.
50 years ago, eating disorders were practically unheard of here in America. Today, however, this has changed drastically. According to Sandy Richardson, an author and counselor at Remuda Ranch, an eating disorder treatment center, reports that 5 to 10% of women and girls in our society suffer from eating disorders. This is a startling number to hear. In addition, 93% of women polled have dieted to lose weight. This number is amazing in comparison to the fact that 70% of normal weight women desire to be thinner. Diets and the desire to be thin are taking over our society every more each day. When answers to the question why? are sought, a finger is pointed largely at the media. Young people, women in particular, are bombarded with the ideal Barbie Figure, says a 1997 issue of the Lariat, the Baylor University newspaper. In reality, it has been found that if Barbie were a real woman, she would have to walk on all fours because of her unrealistic proportions! She would have a bust between thirty-eight and forty inches; her waist would be eighteen to twenty four inches, and her hips around thirty-three to thirty five inches! She would be seven feet tall and weigh only 110 pounds. Also, if Ken were a real man, he would be seven feet, eight inches tall! The average man would have to add seven inches to his chest, and eight inches to his neck to match Kens measurements. (http://www.ou.edu/womensoc/lyb.htm)So much for perfect! America, as well as many other countries, need to change their body image around before this epidemic gets worse. Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are taking over society.
Anorexia Nervosa is among the most common of eating disorders. It is a mental illness defined by an obsession with food, and acute anxiety over gaining weight. Anorexia effects about 2.5 million Americans, and only half of its sufferers recover. When realizing how many people struggle with this disease, these facts are terrifying. Over more recent years, the age of the youngest patients with this disease has slipped to only 9. Peggy Tyre says, There is no single explanation for the declining age of onset, although greater awareness on the part of parents certainly plays a role. This trend has not gone unnoticed. Remuda Ranch has received so many calls from parents of young children struggling with eating disorders, that they have opened a program for children thirteen and under. Our children must be protected from this epidemic. (Tyre 51-53)
Not only is it scary to struggle with anorexia, but also to see a friend go through it. My friend was anorexic, Says Phelicia Colvin She wanted a nice slender shape. At the worst stage of her disorder she was too small to fit a size one. Eventually she was hospitalized because her stomach was so weak it rejected everything she tried to eat. Anorexics often exercise a compulsive amount, and starve themselves. Sadly, the Wellness Center reports that 23% of underweight women think that they are overweight. (Martin) After hearing facts like this, it is not surprising to learn that one in one hundred females develop anorexia (Tyre 53). It is very important to keep an eye out for its symptoms in friends and family members. Signs include continual dieting, fear of weight gain, compulsive exercise, insomnia and brittle hair or nails. If these signs appear, it is important to get help. However, while anorexia is a common eating disorder, it is not the only one.
Bulimia nervosa is another eating disorder taking hold of many young people today. Bulimics are afraid of weight gain, but unlike anorexics, binge on fatty and sugary foods, then purge by vomiting or using laxatives. This disease is quite common on college campuses. According to Kay Hanamer, You will find security in fitting in, and so people will try anything to be thin. She continues, When you are in an environment that convinces you that it is alright to throw up to be thin, it becomes a lifestyle. This shows what an impact the culture has on us as Americans, and citizens of the world. By seeing brushed up models, our idea of perfect is skewed. (Martin) An eating disorder is not just something that one can control. It is a medical condition that requires professional medical help. While some see anorexia and bulimia as simply lifestyles, and go so far as to promote it on personal websites with tips for how to keep disorders going, facts tell us that this is not the right way to look at it. When we look for reasons behind these disorders, answers become clear.
As time goes on, the media puts more and more pressure on women in particular to be thin. In fact, A 1994 study found that there is a direct relationship between eating disorder behavior and the media images we are exposed to. Images of models are frequently digitally changed to make them appear flawless. This is the image presented to women as the ideal figure. In addition to the fact that the media influences our self image, it has been found that the average person sees between 400 and 600 advristisements per day, many of which involve thin and altered models. When looking into orgins, we find that when the idea of the thin model began, it was not to be a craze for weight loss. In fact, the idea first came from a campaign involving tuberculosis sufferers who were very thin modeling clothing. Advertisers found that with such thin, sickly models, the clothing stood out instead of the wearer. From this spawned the craze we see today. The diet industry has soared, bringing in thirty-three billion dollars per year. This is a craze that controls America, and it must stop now.
As the youth of today, it is up to us to stop this ugly trend. As it continues to worsen, it is scary to imagine what it could be like in ten years. Some companies are starting to show more realistic views of women, for example Dove and its campagne for real beauty. Hopefully more and more of these types of things will appear and this trend will change. It is incredibly important to look for the signs of anorexia and bulimia, and help end this deadly quest for perfection.
Thanks for reading!
Kate
In my english class we were assigned a research paper, with a list of 75 topics to choose from. I would like to share my paper with you, and request your feed back. Is anything unfairly portrayed? Is the wording repetitive? Tell me!
You can ignore the names and numbers in parenthases as they are just refrences to where the information came from, and will be listed at the end of my final draft.
Also, sorry about the random double and single spacing haha, my computer had issues copying it.
Please, I know its long, but if you could take the time to read the whole thing and provide feedback it would be greatly appreciated!
WARNING: Could be possibly triggering. If you are on the edge, I do not recommend reading this.
Topic: Are eating disorders a serious problem among today's youth?
Every day, men and women are bombarded with images of happy, thin people. They are seen everywhere: in the movies, on television, and in magazines. As time goes by, we are made to believe that we are supposed to look like they do. Things like this make the media one of the biggest causes of eating disorders. Eating Disorders are a serious problem among todays youth, and unless action is taken, then trend will just continue to intensify.
50 years ago, eating disorders were practically unheard of here in America. Today, however, this has changed drastically. According to Sandy Richardson, an author and counselor at Remuda Ranch, an eating disorder treatment center, reports that 5 to 10% of women and girls in our society suffer from eating disorders. This is a startling number to hear. In addition, 93% of women polled have dieted to lose weight. This number is amazing in comparison to the fact that 70% of normal weight women desire to be thinner. Diets and the desire to be thin are taking over our society every more each day. When answers to the question why? are sought, a finger is pointed largely at the media. Young people, women in particular, are bombarded with the ideal Barbie Figure, says a 1997 issue of the Lariat, the Baylor University newspaper. In reality, it has been found that if Barbie were a real woman, she would have to walk on all fours because of her unrealistic proportions! She would have a bust between thirty-eight and forty inches; her waist would be eighteen to twenty four inches, and her hips around thirty-three to thirty five inches! She would be seven feet tall and weigh only 110 pounds. Also, if Ken were a real man, he would be seven feet, eight inches tall! The average man would have to add seven inches to his chest, and eight inches to his neck to match Kens measurements. (http://www.ou.edu/womensoc/lyb.htm)So much for perfect! America, as well as many other countries, need to change their body image around before this epidemic gets worse. Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are taking over society.
Anorexia Nervosa is among the most common of eating disorders. It is a mental illness defined by an obsession with food, and acute anxiety over gaining weight. Anorexia effects about 2.5 million Americans, and only half of its sufferers recover. When realizing how many people struggle with this disease, these facts are terrifying. Over more recent years, the age of the youngest patients with this disease has slipped to only 9. Peggy Tyre says, There is no single explanation for the declining age of onset, although greater awareness on the part of parents certainly plays a role. This trend has not gone unnoticed. Remuda Ranch has received so many calls from parents of young children struggling with eating disorders, that they have opened a program for children thirteen and under. Our children must be protected from this epidemic. (Tyre 51-53)
Not only is it scary to struggle with anorexia, but also to see a friend go through it. My friend was anorexic, Says Phelicia Colvin She wanted a nice slender shape. At the worst stage of her disorder she was too small to fit a size one. Eventually she was hospitalized because her stomach was so weak it rejected everything she tried to eat. Anorexics often exercise a compulsive amount, and starve themselves. Sadly, the Wellness Center reports that 23% of underweight women think that they are overweight. (Martin) After hearing facts like this, it is not surprising to learn that one in one hundred females develop anorexia (Tyre 53). It is very important to keep an eye out for its symptoms in friends and family members. Signs include continual dieting, fear of weight gain, compulsive exercise, insomnia and brittle hair or nails. If these signs appear, it is important to get help. However, while anorexia is a common eating disorder, it is not the only one.
Bulimia nervosa is another eating disorder taking hold of many young people today. Bulimics are afraid of weight gain, but unlike anorexics, binge on fatty and sugary foods, then purge by vomiting or using laxatives. This disease is quite common on college campuses. According to Kay Hanamer, You will find security in fitting in, and so people will try anything to be thin. She continues, When you are in an environment that convinces you that it is alright to throw up to be thin, it becomes a lifestyle. This shows what an impact the culture has on us as Americans, and citizens of the world. By seeing brushed up models, our idea of perfect is skewed. (Martin) An eating disorder is not just something that one can control. It is a medical condition that requires professional medical help. While some see anorexia and bulimia as simply lifestyles, and go so far as to promote it on personal websites with tips for how to keep disorders going, facts tell us that this is not the right way to look at it. When we look for reasons behind these disorders, answers become clear.
As time goes on, the media puts more and more pressure on women in particular to be thin. In fact, A 1994 study found that there is a direct relationship between eating disorder behavior and the media images we are exposed to. Images of models are frequently digitally changed to make them appear flawless. This is the image presented to women as the ideal figure. In addition to the fact that the media influences our self image, it has been found that the average person sees between 400 and 600 advristisements per day, many of which involve thin and altered models. When looking into orgins, we find that when the idea of the thin model began, it was not to be a craze for weight loss. In fact, the idea first came from a campaign involving tuberculosis sufferers who were very thin modeling clothing. Advertisers found that with such thin, sickly models, the clothing stood out instead of the wearer. From this spawned the craze we see today. The diet industry has soared, bringing in thirty-three billion dollars per year. This is a craze that controls America, and it must stop now.
As the youth of today, it is up to us to stop this ugly trend. As it continues to worsen, it is scary to imagine what it could be like in ten years. Some companies are starting to show more realistic views of women, for example Dove and its campagne for real beauty. Hopefully more and more of these types of things will appear and this trend will change. It is incredibly important to look for the signs of anorexia and bulimia, and help end this deadly quest for perfection.
Thanks for reading!
Kate
