Eating disorders arises due to poor eating habits. This is a condition that maybe caused by either eating too much or eating too little and leads to adverse emotional and physical effects. The importance of food has been acknowledged for the proper functioning of all body organs and faculties, most importantly is how eating habits affect how one carries his or her day to day routines and the interaction with the rest of the society. Anorexia and bulimia nervosa have been identified as the two widely spread disorders that are brought forth by poor eating habits.
Females are the most affected especially in the developed world. Binge eating is another disorder that has been identified recently; it refers to an uncontrollable urge to eat huge amount of food. This is one disorder that has been identifies to chronic health impacts related to weight gain. Eating disorder remains one of the most examined topics in relation to eating habits, the existing research ahs focused on the effects but also there exists scanty research on the leading factors that causes this disorder.
Indeed, eating disorders are caused by various factors, amongst them being environmental, biological and cultural. Additional research has ascertained that childhood experiences play a major role in determining ones eating habits and may result to eating disorders. Children are susceptible to the nature of experiences that they undergo in their childhood. Such experiences might be a source of strength or weaknesses as they are still at the formative stage and bound to be affected by the perception that others have of them.
Childhood experiences may range from within the family to their peers and friends in school. One aspect of these experiences that has been elaborately examined revolves around how bullying and teasing are likely to lead to eating disorders. In a research conducted in 2008 by Rachel and Glenn , there is a “theoretical link between bullying and eating pathology, where having been teased about one’s appearance by peers results in general level of shame, focused specifically in pathological dissatisfaction with one’s body. ”
Indeed the issue of social anxiety and its relation to eating disorders has been widely examined. As has been established, children experiencing criticism and teasing about their weight have a possibility of resulting to unhealthy behaviors to cope with their problem; this might range between using pills to binge eating. Body dissatisfaction hence is a major factor that leads to eating disorders. Over 90% of women suffering from mental disorders have pinpointed being teased about their body sizes by their pears and family members resulting to social anxiety.
There is an undeniable link between an insecure feeling at the formative stages in life and an exaggerated negative perception of ones image. This has been found to result to eating disorders mostly in women. Inadvertently, it is worth mentioning that childhood experiences helps in the formation of an adult’s personality. Children brought up in an environment that is appreciative and caring are likely to have a higher self esteem and a solid personal identity. Researchers that have taken a look at teenagers suffering from eating disorders have discerned a connection to low esteem and low regard for self image (Natenshon & Abigail, 1999).
Body dissatisfaction is not only an emotional problem but rather stems from social and cultural factors. A look at the western societies indicates they have certain specifications for ideal women; beauty is defined along a woman size such that slim women are the most preferred. Most of the diagnostic studies centering on eating disorders have singled out the media as the real culprit. The media has become an important tool for socialization, by bombarding the public with illustrations of beauty; they instill anxiety (Yager et al, 2005).
To understand how this works it is important to take a critical look at how influential the media has become in American’s lives. The existing statistics have it that an average American spends close to four hours in a day behind the screen, this is likely to be higher for teenagers. A critical look at the messages being passed across indicates that they play a major role in shaping an audiences view and perception in regard to the various aspects of life. It shapes what they eat, drive, study, wear and eat. It consequently instills into them popular images of ideal beauty and advocates for conformity.
From the post war period when the media entered a revolution age, it has perpetuated the idealization of certain beliefs in regard to various issues; particularly it has played a role in the changing perception of fashion and beauty. The 60s had its own image of beauty; this has changed so far from the days when ample breasts and the backside were glorified to the today’s world that adores thinness. These images drive the level of social anxiety in women and may either result to anorexic behaviors or binge eating. This is a reaction that has been mostly evident in women (Johnson, 1998).