The Globalization of Eating Disorders

In the article, the Globalization of Eating Disorders, by Susan Bordo, she highlights the common misconceptions that are associated with eating disorders. We learn that Eating disorders are not only common to one certain ethnic group or gender but to people all around the world. Thanks to western civilization, the common person would like to have a small and slender body. However, the truth is the majority of us just aren't born with one. In some cultures, being thin is seen as being sick, but for most people in the United States, if you are overweight you are the one who is considered unhealthy and un attractive. Bordo shows us that having an eating disorder is a serious thing, and it is unfortunately becoming more and more common. It has almost reached a point of acceptance which Bordo disagrees with. The thesis of her argument states, "Eating and body image problems are now not only crossing racial and class lines, but gender lines. They have also become a global phenomenon."

As far back as I can remember what I see in the media has always been known as something that is popular or something that everyday people should be striving to imitate. However, until reading this article I was never quite sure of the impact that the media might actually have on the average person. Not only do people want to look like what they see on television or in the latest magazine, they wish they could be just like that person. No matter what the environment around you or your authority figures may say can change the way America has portrayed the way people should look. People of all ages, genders, and nationalities see disgust when they look in the mirror and their physique doesn't match the one on the cover of their magazine. This being said I was shocked by how we as Americans allow editors of magazines and television show producers to tell us that how we look is either acceptable or not. I believe that we as people should have the knowledge to know that everyone looks different and embodies different beauties within.

This being said the paragraph about the counter argument was very powerful in the fact that it provided a sense of comfort in accepting how you look in that specific group of people. They believe that the body there are born with is a gift and should be loved by not only yourself, but also those around you. I wish that I in fact lived in a society that spread this message to its people instead of the constant thought that something needs to change.