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Media Eating Disorders

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Media Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders and the Media We are constantly surrounded and influenced by the media no matter where we go. With all of the great improvements the media has provided to our lives, it is hard to recognize how much the media has negatively impacted us as well. Media advertises body images that are deemed to be “perfect” which pressures individuals to change their appearance to meet the standards of society’s view of “perfection.” Not everyone can achieve self-satisfaction with his or her appearance. Body image is the mental image of one’s own body based on self-esteem. Since the media does not provide a realistic standard of beauty, it does not help self-esteem and can even worsen one’s body image. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), in the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men will suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life. Out of those men and women, low confidence and self-esteem are already a problem especially since research has shown that those individuals are the most influenced by the media and society. Exposure to the media can strongly contribute to the development of an eating disorder.
The media seeks to inform us, persuade us, entertain us, and change us. The media also provides an easy way of communication so that everyone in our culture is up to date with …show more content…
Music can be very therapeutic, in fact there are many kinds of music therapy to help with eating disorders as well as other mental health conditions. There are so many different types of music today to fit any mood. However, the derogative language has increased in today’s greatest hits. Besides the actual lyrics, the music videos are usually plastered with beautiful men and women who are half naked. The individuals watching these videos obviously find the artists desirable, but the message and images may leave the viewers feeling lacking in confidence or
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