What are the social and cultural factors that lead to the development of eating disorders? By Shriya

Eating disorders are caused by a complex combination of long-standing behavioural, biological, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, and societal factors.

While eating disorders may appear to be entirely about food and weight concerns at first, persons who suffer from them frequently attempt to use food as a coping mechanism for sensations and emotions that would otherwise be overwhelming.

Eating Disorders like anorexia (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN) often occur in western and west-influenced societies where food is available in excess amounts but attractiveness is related to thinness. However, not all individuals who are subject to those factors develop eating disorders.

Social media plays a big role in perpetuating unhealthy body standards as well as a culture that features a tendency to counteract and possibly even idolize pathological behaviour in pursuit of a perfect body. The skinny ideal of the western world has convinced many women that they need to be extremely thin in order to be beautiful; while for men,a tall and muscular body is the ideal physique. As a society, we place an excessive amount of emphasis on attractiveness and not on inner qualities and strengths. The pressure to be thin can cause intense dieting, even in very young children, which may become a disorder in more people(predisposed genetically) to have the disorder. Often, a person’s self-esteem depends upon their perceived attractiveness to others . Instead of feeling hateful or disgusting about their bodies, they often mention their fantasy bodies. These fantasy body ideas are coming from stars/influencers. They are the ones who are deciding the norm for what body weight and size is acceptable. Obtaining these so-called perfect bodies could also be harder for a few people than for others.

Diet commercials constantly appear on our television screens, in magazines, and on internet pop-up ads, telling us that once we lose weight, we will be happy, which, in hindsight, is not one bit true.

Professions and sports that need a particular body shape can also indirectly encourage eating disorders. Ballet, gymnastics, modeling, acting, running, ice skating and swimming, often emphasize or require a skinny, lean body.

Certain family attitudes or dynamics may contribute to the danger of a toddler or teen developing a disorder. The danger for eating disorders could also be higher in families that emphasize on being perfect, Parents that are concerned about appearances and worry about being socially accepted.

Young people who develop eating disorders often have a troubled relationship with their parents and other people around them. Although this is often common in the teen years, a person who is at high risk for developing a disorder will take concerns over parental relationship problems to an extreme. A kid could also be scared of disappointing their parents or could also be trying to regulate an unspoken conflict or lack of harmony within the family. Peer pressure can also lead to low self-esteem and a lack of confidence which can contribute to eating disorders.

A possible solution to the media's representation of an “ideal” body is social activism which can include refusing anorexic marketing or models that are below/above the healthy body-mass index. If people, mainly those who believe the messages provided by the media were to become media literate, they'd’ be better at critically analyzing and questioning the pictures and messages that come from the media. We can also start taking into consideration eating disorders and weight stigmatization in several aspects of life including school and sports.

Normalizing bodies and different body types is also a big factor in accepting yourself and others and it can lead to fewer people feeling awful about their bodies and needing to think about changing them, thus reducing the chance of developing an eating disorder.

It’s unfortunate, but in today’s society, people have forgotten that it’s what’s inside a person that counts, not what’s on the outside and this needs to change.

By- Shriya Dhar