Reaction to the Globalization of Eating Disorders

“The Globalization of Eating Disorders” was written by Susan Bordo. This selection was written as a preface to the tenth anniversary edition of her book Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body in 2003. Bordo’s goal for this piece was to offer an overview of eating disorders fueled by Western media images and the media’s affect on cultures around the world. She provides astounding facts and examples to really open people’s eyes. She not only covers the epidemic of eating disorders spread through women, but also it’s spread through men. Bordo puts a lot of her blame on Western media for the spread of eating disorders throughout other cultures.

It is unfortunate that our media has persuaded our population into such a materialistic and altered view of beauty. It is unhealthy to be obesely overweight; however it is equally unhealthy if not fatal to develop an eating disorder due to body insecurity based off supermodels and false "requirements" to be beautiful. Based on the case of Fijian women it is incredible to see the role of western media on a population that once considered being heavy to be beautiful. In 1998 according to the CIA World Factbook 11 percent of women aged 15-64 had reported vomiting to control weight, that is 1 in 9 females having an eating disorder, and 1 in 1.6 (62%) females having reported dieting in the previous months. That is astounding and extremely unfortunate. Before the Fijians received western media there had been almost no known cases of eating disorders in the entirety of their country.
It is not only prominent in females anymore either. Males have also started developing body insecurity issues. For example, the promotion of muscle enhancements such as steroids and creatine. I blame the media for the large number of people who have body issues because they are giving a false image that to be skinny or to be jacked and muscular is the most important thing a person can do. I feel people should realize that while being in shape and exercizing is healthy and good for one's mental well-being, that being a good person, being nice and accepting of others, and generally caring for others should far surpass having to be skinny or muscular to fit in or be accepted.http://www.worldrover.com/vital/fiji.html