Does Society’s Promotion of Pretty Lead to Anorexia?

By, Tori 

The idea of pretty has changed throughout time and varies throughout location. Is being pretty dangerous and leads to treacherous solutions? Why would someone want to look like they're sick? Why do girls in the United States and Europe think that the solution to being pretty is to throw up everything they eat? These are many questions that are asked and debated about anorexia, but what is the true meaning of beauty, and what's the cause of it?

Cause--- Biology and Genetic Make up

       In the article “The New Anorexics: Big Increase in Eating Disorders in Women After the Age of 30,” written by Denis Campbell, a Health correspondent, older woman aren't eating to look younger. In this article Campbell is informing others about that it's not only young girls that want to look thin by not eating, but older women too. This piece describes how older women are not eating to look younger and the not-eating is making them weaker and less immune to viruses. Campbell also uses negative connotation against older women with eating disorders like "trigger" and "crippling conditions".  Campbell addresses conflicting evidence stating that younger girls suffer from anorexia but the amount of older women having anorexia s increasing each day. This source is accurate because it was last updated two years, is on an educational website, and was written by a health correspondent, making the website trustworthy and reliable. ( http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMO0040-0-6521&artno=0000308545&type=ART )

       In “Anorexia Risk 'Could Be Predicted'” also written by Denis Campbell informs that thousands of girls are predisposed to develop anorexia because of the way their brains developed in the womb. In this article it describes how children can be affected by anorexia and other eating disorders due to genetics and science. Campbell uses neutral connotation, not directly putting in his bias, letting the people interviewed and quoted to have his opinion addressed. In the article Campbell addresses conflicting evidence in the first paragraph saying that most people believe it's the sizes of celebrities and models influencing the minds of young women today. This source isn't as reliable as the first because it was last updated three years ago, but is on an educational website, and was written by the same health correspondent, making the website trustworthy and reliable.( http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMO0040-0-6521&artno=0000293442&type=ART )

      The article “Not Our Stars but Ourselves,” written by Fred Schwarz states that in the last dozen years or so, scientists have linked anorexia to many different physiological conditions. This piece informs and describes to it's readers that anorexia is a mental illness that causes young girls and women to starve themselves to death. Schwarz uses negative connotation using words like "victims" "bombard" and "obsessed" to show his opinion of how people are influenced by others thinking thin is beautiful. The author addresses conflicting evidence saying that most actresses and models are incredibly thin and advertisements for diet programs exclude average sized people and showing all the different reasons that are the real issue to anorexia like genetic and environmental issues. This article isn't very reliable because it was last updated three years ago, and only includes the author's name.( http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMO0040-0-6521&artno=0000290865&type=ART )

Cause--- Society's Idea of Pretty

       In the article, "Beyond Thin", written by the Pittsburg Post Gazette informs readers that young girls are thinking they have to be thin because of manipulated photos and dolls. The writer uses comparing and contrasting models before and after photo-shop and describes how physically impossible it is to have a waist smaller than your head. The author thinks that not eating wouldn't lead you to be as thin as models because the models images in billboards and magazines aren't real. The article addresses conflicting evidence like America's obesity problem and contradicts it saying eating disorders are a big issue in America too. The author uses negative connotation like "trigger" and "twisted" to get the point across that what advertisers are doing to manipulate a models body isn't right. This source is reliable because it was written a few months ago and has a lot of facts to support the authors viewpoint like statistics and percentages.(  http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMO0040-0-9987&artno=0000316078&type=ART )

     From the book, "Killer Fashion: An Industry in Denial," written by Libby Rodenbough it informs and describes how dangerous under eating can be. This book shows that models suffer from trying to look like the image they are wanted to be and some even suffer from death. This piece uses negative connotation like "foul" and "devastation” to show that Rodenbough is against models being anorexic. This article addresses conflicting evidence stating most Americans are afraid of getting fat due to the media. This piece is reliable because it was last updated April 2011. This piece is also a part of a published book and has a lot of data and stories to support the author's viewpoint, like the story of the girl in France that died due to under-eating.  ( http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMO0040-0-9987&artno=0000313317&type=ART )