Poor body image and eating disorders

Poor body Image and eating disorders:

*2.5% of women in America suffer from anorexia or bulimia at some point in their lives
*Most of which are women ages 10-30
*Most eating disorders start out as a simple diet

Body Image, the media and eating disorders are all connected; the medias unrealistic portrayal of what women should look like can negatively affect a woman's body image, which could lead to an eating disorder. Throughout history women have always strived to have the ideal body the political climate and cultural ideas have shaped. However, currently there have been incredible increases of instances of eating disorders. For example in a 1998 Fiji study which showed the rapid increase of dieting from 0%-69% among women after the arrival of television.

Criteria that psychologists use to diagnose the three main eating disorders:

Anorexia:
Person that is refusing to maintain 85% of a expected body weight, they have a fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image. Also, a lack of 3 consecutive menstrual cycles.

Bulimia:
Someone who participates in binge eating unusually large amounts of food, and vomiting, using laxatives, or excessive exercise 2 weekly for 3 months. Also a distorted body image.

EDNOS:
Binge eats, as well as periods of avoiding eating, common trends of anorexia and or bulimia however without missed menstrual cycles or the use of purging/laxatives/excessive exercise twice weekly for three months.

Binge-eating:
Eating unusually large amounts of food often.

[Switzer, 2012]


Reference:
Schwitzer, A. (2012). Diagnosing, conceptualizing, and treating eating disorders. Journal of Counseling and Development, 90(3), 281-289. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier


-Lindsey