Is the Media to Blame For Anorexia?

Is the media to blame for anorexia? And if so, what can that tell us about preventing anorexia?

When asking is the media to blame for anorexia, it is interesting to consider the fact that anorexia is a disorder primarily seen in Westernized, industrialized countries, where the media is full of women so skinny they are not really healthy. In fact, the average model has a body mass index of 16.3, and a normal, healthy BMI is anywhere from 18.5 to 24.9. The average model is actually unhealthily thin. And in countries without this kind of media image, anorexia is very, very rare.

Now, saying that the media is to blame for anorexia is probably oversimplifying things, but it does seem likely that the media is one influence that may affect people who suffer from anorexia.

Causes of Anorexia

The truth is that anorexia is a complex disorder. There is not one single cause of anorexia. Experts are frequently asked is the media to blame for anorexia, and it is likely that the media does play a part. The media portrays images of unusually tall, thin women, and tells us this is the ideal. Anorexia is also rather common among fashion models and other celebrities.

However, there are other things that can contribute to anorexia, as well.

Many people who suffer from anorexia suffer from other psychological disorders as well, such as major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder. It is believed that many psychological disorders, such as major depression, have a genetic component, and that may be the case with anorexia, as well. It is also believed that there is a biological component to many psychological disorders, including major depression, and that may also be the case with anorexia. It could be affected by brain chemistry.

Some experts have also pointed to a correlation between childhood abuse and anorexia. Certainly not everyone who experiences abuse as a child develops anorexia as an adult, and not all anorexics were abused as children. But a large percentage of those with anorexia do have a history of childhood abuse.

Preventing Anorexia

When we ask is the media to blame for anorexia, what we are really looking for is how to go about preventing anorexia. It is reasonable to assume that anorexia would be less common if the media did not portray unreasonably thin women as desirable. And in terms of preventing anorexia, we can encourage the media to portray more realistic images, and we can also talk to our daughters about what they see in the media.

There is more that we can do to prevent anorexia, however. Since there is a correlation between child abuse and anorexia, we can work to prevent child abuse. We can also work to provide adequate treatment to children who do experience abuse, because that might prevent future psychological problems from developing.

Educating the public about anorexia might help, as well. It might not actually prevent anorexia, but might encourage people who are experiencing symptoms of the disorder to seek treatment early on, which would limit the medical complications they would experience from the condition. Right now, many people are not familiar with the early warning signs of anorexia and many people are not aware of just how serious the condition can be (it can be deadly).

The Bottom Line

So when we hear the question, is the media to blame for anorexia, we need to understand that that is only one small piece of the problem, but it does probably play a role. And then we need to look at what we can do to begin preventing anorexia, which includes addressing the media, but also includes looking at other issues, as well.