Eating Disorders and Western Culture - 845 Words

It has been found that eating disorders are most common in the western and industrialized culture where food is abundant. This is because these individuals attach a lot of importance to their physical appearance and are willing to do anything to get the dream figure. An eating disorder is not just watching what one eats and exercising on a daily basis but is rather an illness that causes serious disturbances in eating behaviour, such as great and harmful cutback of the consumption of food as well as feelings of serious anxiety about their body shape or mass. They would start to stop themselves to go out anywhere just so that they could work out and burn all of the calories of a meal or snack that they had scoffed earlier. Two of the most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The regular description of a patient with either disease would be a youthful white female, with an upper social standing in a predictably socially competitive environment. At present, these eating disorders have an effect on roughly 25 million Americans, of which almost 25% are of the male gender. Out of all the psychological disorders, anorexia has the highest mortality rate. The whys and wherefores include malnourishment, substance abuse and reckless suicides. Eating disorders can happen to anyone; no matter whether they’re male or female, rich or poor, old or young. According to many researchers, eating disorders are caused by more than just food. There are numerousShow MoreRelatedBinge Eating in Non-Western Cultures1038 Words   |  5 PagesLiterature regarding eating disorders in non-Western cultures in general is scarce. Very few studies address disordered eating in cultures outside of the Western and Westernized world. This could be because of the perceived lack of eating disorders in non-industrialized countries or even because there is an overwhelming amount of concern over eating disorders in Western society. However, there have bee n several studies done on binge eating and dietary restraint in non-western citizens and in non-CaucasianRead MoreEating Disorders1328 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Barlow,Durand and Stewart(2012), eating disorders are found to be more prevalent among women, specifically between the ages of 12 and 25 years of age. Prior to modern research, researchers saw eating disorders as a Western phenomenon due to the fact that non western countries did not have such a wide variety of food available to them. This perspective is now changing. Individuals in other countries (non-western) have been diagnosed with eating disorders as well, however it is not as frequentRead More Eating Disorders, Body Image and Cultural Contexts Essay1306 Words   |  6 PagesEating Disorders, Body Image and Cultural Contexts Although a great deal of early research on body image and eating disorders focused on upper/middle class Caucasians living in America or under the influence of Western ideals, many researchers are realizing that eating disorders are not isolated to this particular group. They are also realizing the differences in body image between occur in different races and genders (Pate, Pumariega, Hester 1992). Recently, several studies have shown that eatingRead MoreA Brief Note On Anorexia And Bulimia Nervosa1561 Words   |  7 PagesIn today s western society, an abundance of factors contribute to the way one thinks and feels about themselves physically, and essentially how one would act upon this. All over the world, messages and images of skinny women are engrossing people s lives, leaving negative and long-lasting affects behind. Current beliefs of western culture suggest one must obtain a perfect, which has become analogous to thin, physique in order to achieve happiness and success, c ausing many young women to feelRead MorePsychopathology And Culture : The Epidemic Of Eating Disorders1396 Words   |  6 Pages Psychopathology and Culture: The Epidemic of Eating Disorders By: Bernadette Oldfield Dr. Van Arsdale Abnormal Psychology 6 May 2015 Throughout cultures, mental disorders vary immensely. In some cultures, certain disorders are considered taboo and not even recognized, in other cultures, the treatment of certain disorders varies, but the biggest thing that is different, is how certain disorders effect certain cultures and races less or more than others. This is somethingRead MoreWesternization Vs. Eating Disorders1645 Words   |  7 PagesWesternization Vs. Eating Disorders Historically, through an array of cultures worldwide, individuals have transformed their appearances in order to conform to the beauty ideal of relevant culture. Those that are apart of the Pa Dong Tribe, which reside among the boarder of Thailand, practice the elongating of the neck through the use of brass rings. African and Amazonian tribes consider beauty through the stretching of their lips that is achieved using large lip plates. Tribes in Africa striveRead MoreGeneral Education Requirement For Psch 2701410 Words   |  6 Pagesthe other definition of â€Å"danger† it might be â€Å"person is likely to do harm to other people or him/herself†. Second, choose 1 specific psychological disorder (not a category, e.g., panic disorder is okay but not â€Å"anxiety† disorder) that fits each definition and briefly state in what way(s) the disorder fits that definition well. Choose a different disorder for each definition. (6 pts) a. Social deviance: When there is a behavior seems contrary to the dominant norms of a certain society, this can beRead MoreEssay on The Fear of Fat Criterion Within the DSM IV1626 Words   |  7 Pagesfear of gaining weight, if a patient has not been exposed to the same cultural pressures and orientation towards being thin? Although western culture is thought to be the dominant culture, because of power and economics, non-western cultures make up eighty percent of the world’s population (Lee, 1995). Many of these ‘sub-dominant’ cultures are present in the melting pot of the modern United States. Are these non-Westernized individuals being denied the necessary treatments and interventionsRead MoreA Study Of Unusual Thoughts, Feelings And Patterns Of Behaviors1672 Words   |  7 PagesElements that affect disorders classified under abnormal psychology can include one s genetics, one’s environment, and their economic stability. Eating disorders are a prime examples of what abnormal psychological disorders are. Eating disorders (ED) are defined as illnesses that causes serious disturbances to an individual’s everyday diet, such as eating extremely small amounts of food or severely overeating regardless of actually having appetite.This specific type of disorder is not only focusedRead MoreThe Psychological Effects Of Eating Disorders1324 Words   |  6 Pagesis that those are all influences leading to eating disorders. Women are strongly affected by eating disorders in North America. Many societal, cultural and physiological aspects contribute to the impact that eating disorders have upon women. Psychological aspect of eating disorder The psychological effect of eating disorders is one of, if not the most influential part of the development of an eating disorder. â€Å"Eating disorders are disorders of eating behaviors, associated thoughts, attitudes and