Is the Media to Blame for Eating Disorders?

Is the Media to Blame for Eating Disorders?

Rough Draft One

Media, in my opinion, is one of the biggest reasons for eating disorders with young woman in today’s society. Teenagers are under a lot of pressure to succeed but are more worried about fitting in. Many young girls spend so much time worrying about what others think and they desperately try to have today’s unattainable "ideal" body image. They are lead to believe that if they are thin, they will be accepted. Many teenagers need a role model or someone to look up to. Unfortunately, too many of them choose fashion models or actresses as their role models. They paste pictures of them all over their rooms, and some will resort to dangerous methods of weight control to try and look like their idols. Since many teenagers are constantly buying teen or fashion magazines, the images of models appearing in those magazines only reinforces their belief that in order to be happy, successful and accepted, they must be thin. Who are young girls looking up to today? Who is the best singer? Who has the hottest boyfriend? Who’s been in more movies or on more television shows? When young girls look in the mirror every day, is it

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what they want to see or would they rather see Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson? 99% of the time, I would bet it isn’t themselves they want to see. Women don’t know how to appreciate themselves anymore in today’s society. There is too much sex in magazines and what’s “hot or not.” Who could even think to make a poll to put in a magazine and all over the internet of “what to wear and what not to?” If a freshman in high-school that is trying to make a good reputation, sees something she has or similar to it in the “what not to wear” column, what do you think she’s going to do? Throw away something she probably looks absolutely beautiful in. It’s the same when it comes to weight. Between television, magazines and the internet, you can’t get away without seeing an ad about weight loss. And when you see pictures of your “idol” and how skinny and perfect you think he/she is, you tend to look at yourself more and wonder how much you will have to do to look just like them. Many adults are worried about getting rich quick, when young teens today are worried about getting skinny quick. Why diet? That takes too much time and money to eat healthy. Why exercise? I don’t have the right equipment and not enough money to get it. Well, why not just be bulimic? You don’t need to buy expensive healthy food; you get can good cheap food. “Processed foods aren’t just cheap, tasty, and filling. They’re also more accessible.” (Cullen, 504) How about anorexia? I can starve myself. I’ll just keep myself busy and not think about food like the Olson twins did.

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