In order to survive human beings need several different things; one would wonder as to why anyone would consciously turn his or her back on food, a vital necessity. Eating disorders have recently become noticed by psychiatric professionals and the primary types have each been placed in the DSM-5, which is a manual that describes and classifies mental disorders to help diagnoses (American Psychiatric Association). These illnesses affect people of every age, race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic background. Research shows that the number of cases have increased significantly since 1980 (NEDA). According to NEDA, the National Eating Disorder Association, “National surveys estimate that 20 million women and 10 million men in America will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives.” The three most prevalent types recognized by the American Psychiatric Association are anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). Psychiatrists point out several differences between anorexia, bulimia, and BED in the way they affect an individual's health and relationship with food, but their symptoms, health risks, and causes are homogenous. The development of these disorders can be caused by external stimuli such as the media, which is commonly suspected, or cultural values. In addition to these factors, there are more personal components such as genetics, family support, and relationships between friends and family members. Society is a system that men, women, and children are unable to escape. Beliefs and values that take root in the diverse communities and civilizations around the world greatly influence the development of unhealthy tendencies. People who migrate or move cross culturally are more vulnerable to contracting an eating disorder, as opposed to those who stay in their homeland (Dolan, 1991; Furukawa, 1994; Silber, 1986). The ubiquitous nature of eating disorders among cross culturally travelled individuals can be attributed to the role of society in transforming a person's beliefs, acculturative stress, a change in cultural values, social pressures, and personal factors, all of which are associated with the change in one’s environment. 

Eating disorders are classified as mental illnesses, and contribute to the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness. The symptoms observed among anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder could include binge eating, purging, starvation, and an excessive amount of exercise. In addition to these detrimental symptoms, suicide is also common among individuals who fight eating disorders. Every year researchers, in the medical field, are working tirelessly to understand the causes of eating disorders and how to prevent them. Eating disorders are not a choice but instead are sparked into being as a result of varying bio-psycho-social elements. This unique characteristic perplexes researchers and psychologists as they search for a cause because a range of biological, psychological, and social factors influence the disorders development. Genetic factors, personality traits such as a drive for thinness and perfection, and the media’s influence have the power to change one’s mental and physical relationship with their body and food. In addition to these factors, eating disorder frequently exist with other major mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, social phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The complexity of eating disorders require further demographic, social, personal, and psychiatric research. 

The standards that exist within a society in a sense are able to restrict the mind’s of the citizens. If a large number of concentrated people believe in one specific idea, chances are that, those who migrate into the society will in many cases accept similar beliefs. The influence of society on mental and physical health is immense specifically in connection to eating disorders. Previous research regarding Western culture, “Has found a strong association between migration to Western countries and increased risk for a broad range of psychiatric disorders, including many types of internalizing and externalizing disorders (Alegría et al., 2008; Breslau et al., 2009; Cantor-Graae and Selten, 2005; Fearon and Morgan, 2006)”. The dominance of Western culture through revolutionary infrastructural, technological, and societal advances has directly impacted the values of small communities all around the world. In a study conducted in 2004 by Anne E. Becker, she examined the etiology of binge eating and BED in the island nation known as Fiji. According to Becker, the obesity rate is high, but despite the robust body type, body satisfaction is high among the women (Becker 2005). Since more recent research has been done Becker discovered that Fijian teenagers are using diet pills and exercise to conform to the Western ideal. The Fijian women have changed their values regarding beauty, health, and cosmetics following the introduction of Western programming in the island nation. The stress that is directly associated with society is the most powerful trigger for the development of an eating disorder. 

Stressors are the humps and bumps that make one’s existence fraught and uncomfortable, they lurk around each and every corner in the experience known as life. One unique characteristic about stress is it’s uncontrollable nature. It is widely believed by the general public, including people in and out of the medical field, that stress plays a significant role in determining the type, amount, and frequency of food consumed by a person. In Stress-related Eating, the researchers conclude that, “Teaching adolescents healthy and effective coping skills to respond to stressors, and addressing co-occurring adverse lifestyles could be a key to preventing unhealthy eating, obesity and obesity-related diseases later in life”. Obesity, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder are all considered unhealthy mental and physical conditions. Aside from the mental and physical similarities between the under-eating disorders (AN, BN, BED) and overeating (Obesity), medical researchers and professionals agree that stress is the primary cause for each disorder. Dr. Jocelyn Lebow, who works in the psychiatric department at the Mayo Clinic, points out that anxiety arising from stress and eating disorder symptoms often work together and intensify with time. Binge eating disorder especially is closely related to obesity because of the increase in food consumption. The episodes of eating where a patient binges is primarily triggered as a result of stress. When individuals lose control and consume a large amount of food they often become uncomfortable, and a feeling of guilt, anxiety, and depression follows. The negative effects associated with BED are unhealthy and a majority of sufferers will purge to counteract the amount of food consumed and its effect on their body (Jääskeläinen, et. al, 15). The fact that people are pushed to such destructive behaviors from factors such as stress demonstrates the influence that acculturation has on one’s mental and physical health. 

Acculturation as defined by Dr. Nan M. Sussman happens when, “Immigrants undergo a process of cultural transition in which their attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors change as they adapt to their new home country.” The experience of acculturation varies vastly from person to person. Whether one is a citizen of an underdeveloped country where war rages or a high class citizen moving across the world for a business opportunity, eating disorders affect people of every age, sexual orientation, race, and socioeconomic background, regardless, in every case there will be stress related to the migration. This stress is known as acculturative stress or the anxiety that emerges due to the cross cultural migration. As stated in The Relationship Between Acculturative Stress and Eating Disorder Symptoms, “Women who move from a non-Westernized country to the United States are at greater risk for developing eating disorders than women who remained in their homelands”. The dominant nature of acculturative stress effects a person's values, confidence, and the way they view themselves. These components are directly related to eating disorder symptoms depending on the level of which someone is acculturated within a society. The way in which acculturative stress chisels away at people’s personalities and beliefs is caused by the way in which society establishes what the ideal human body should look like. 

When someone speaks on the topic of eating disorders in today’s culture the first thought that comes to mind is the media’s impact. Anything from print text like newspapers and magazines to electronic sources such as apps and information found in cell phones and televisions, the media’s reach is far and wide. In the 21st century people are now able to get any piece of information imaginable because of the incredible technological advances made in the last two decades. However, one problem with accessibility is that there is little to no discretion on what can be publicized. The internet as a whole is intimidating, the content ranges from inspiring, cheerful, instructive, and academic, to cynical, illegal, horrifying, and deceiving. This aspect of the internet represents just how easily the content can affect one’s senses and judgement, because of the extensive variety of information. As it relates to the topic of eating disorders, socially there have been ideal body types and appearances ever since beauty began to be valued. Until the 19th century, a plump and full body was normal in Western Europe, but towards the end of the century the feminine figure shifted to a more restricted shape. One of the more prominent fashion pieces to be used in everyday life was the corset, which used tight strings to shrink a woman’s waist. This implementation of the corset demonstrates just how much societal changes can effect a human’s appearance (Viren Swami, 45). In today's culture, focusing specifically on Westernization, the popular trends reach people around the world in each and every nation. With an emphasis placed on a female with a thin frame, under normal weight, and low BMI, the contemporary Western women are vulnerable to this unhealthy model through magazines, television shows, ads, music, and films (Calogero et al., 2007). As a result of the intense influence that cultural beauty standards have on the populations of people around the world, eating disorder cases are increasing. 

Western cultures for a number of decades were thought to be the only societies that reported eating disorders. However, historically the technological revolution that is currently taking place has spread the values of Western culture all around the world. With a rise in television programs, social media platforms, fast and easy communication, as well as new research regarding the human physique, cultures around the world are being influenced by Western values. Dr. Mervat Nasser explains, “Eating disorders are considered unique among psychiatric disorders in the degree to which social and cultural factors influence their epidemiology and development”. Although in the 20th century there has been an increase in the anorexia and bulimia cases, the people who develop these disorders internalize the unhealthy messages that are present in Western cultures. Research has shown that 1% of females have anorexia nervosa, about 4% suffer with bulimia nervosa, 2% experience binge eating symptoms, and up to 60% of all Americans are overweight (ANRED). The data presented clearly reveals that the number of people who develop eating disorders is low, despite the widespread impact of Western values around the world. Eating disorder risk factors can originate from environmental or internal influence (Paxton, 24). Women are more at risk for developing eating disorders than men, but they occur on both sides. In The Encultured Body, Susan J. Paxton presents several different risk factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders. Paxton writes that family structures and relationships, peer groups, the media, and one’s drive to diet, all have the ability to initiate eating disorder tendencies. The surrounding personalities and goals of an adolescent’s peer group can greatly influence the beliefs and individual development of the child. As one settles into a friend group, they choose others who share similar beliefs, values, and behaviors. Adolescents who exhibit eating disorder tendencies believe that their friends are dieting and talking about thinness and dieting (Gibbs, 1986; Levine, Smolak, Moodey, Schuman & Hessan, 1994; Paxton, Schutz, Wertheim & Muir, 1999). The adolescent years are when the human body and mind is most flexible and open to change. It is important for children and teens to understand themselves and find positive peer groups to interact with, or else there exists a risk for the development of eating disorder tendencies. When one migrates cross culturally, no matter what their age is, they face challenges to fit in and find people who share similar beliefs. This results in anxiety and stress stemming from the process of acculturation. 

Individual factors also contribute to the development of eating disorders, and are intensified by the presence of acculturative stress. A drive for thinness, perfectionism, and body dissatisfaction are examples of individual risk factors. As the 20th century rolled around, the image of the ideal female figure changed. In a transformation from a robust to lean and thin physique, the pressure exerted on women to adhere to Western cultures escalated. The internalization of a seemingly unattainable physique was accompanied by anxiety, depression, and unhealthy tendencies (Kroon, 446). Perfectionism relates to the high personal standards and overly critical assessment of oneself. A more rigid standard and evaluation correlates with a greater chance of developing an eating disorder. The effects of a high drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and personal standards influence the development of eating disorders through hereditary traits. 

As one looks into the cases where cross culturally migrated individuals develop mental health disorders, the primary cause is due to acculturative stress. To experience stress a person must be uncomfortable, which could be caused by an abusive relationship, tough classes, family problems, a busy schedule with work, or a new sociocultural setting. The effects of a change in culture which poses new standards will transform a person in one of two ways, either for better or worse. In many cases the more stress one experiences, the more likely they are to develop a host of mental health symptoms such as general psychological distress (Neff & Hoppe, 1993), depression and suicide (Joiner & Walker, 2002), substance use (Ortega et al., 2000), and eating disorder symptoms (Perez et al., 2002). Although acculturative stress is the primary justification for the development of eating disorders among cross culturally migrated individuals, there are other theories proposed by psychiatrists and medical researchers. The affect that discriminatory stress has on an individual's mental and physical health is believed to contribute to the development of eating disorders when one relocates cross culturally. 

Discriminatory stress was the focal point of a study conducted at the University of Chapel Hill by M. K. Higgins Neyland and Anna M. Bardone-Cone. The purpose of this study was to test three escape theory models which included acculturative stress, family disconnection, and discriminatory stress. Acculturative stress for cross culturally migrated individuals through research is recognized as the most influential factor giving rise to the development of eating disorders. In addition to this it is believed that discrimination also has a major role in determining whether or not one acquires an eating disorder. When one migrates from their home country to an unfamiliar nation, the stress experiences is predominantly due to acculturation and not the occurrence of discrimination experienced. In Eating Disorders In Sojourning Students, a study conducted by Dr. Swami Viren, the role of discrimination was also examined to see if there was any relationship between it and the development of eating disorders. Dr. Viren, “Found that poorer sociocultural adjustment and greater perceived discrimination was significantly associated with higher total scores of eating disorder risk” (699). With more frequent experiences of direct discrimination on an individual who has moved to a new country, the chance of developing an eating disorder increases. The discriminatory stress described in the study by Dr. Viren coincides with acculturative stress which was mentioned earlier. However, Dr. Viren goes on to point out that there are several limitations that surround discriminatory stress and its influence on one’s relationship with food. The findings of the study he identifies, could have been more closely related to a broad general set of factors associated with psychopathology. This point ensures the logical relationship between acculturative stress and eating disorders. Although discriminatory stress may in fact contribute to the development of anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder, the impact of acculturative stress on the mental and physical health of a person will be far greater. 

Mental health disorders are among the most distressing to experience. It is a part of human nature to feel compassion for anyone suffering whether it is a loved one, friend, co-worker, or nameless person. Eating disorders make you question the human consciousness in a way that irritates and inspires you. When you observe a person suffering from such a complex disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder the word why often times comes to mind. Why would one want to inflict such pain upon themselves? Why would he or she choose to not eat? There are a countless number of questions that surround the topic of eating disorders but more research needs to be done in order to truly understand these complex illnesses. One of the most common reasons one develops an eating disorder is due to a migration from one country to another and the stress that arises because of the move. The instances of eating disorders among cross culturally relocated individuals is directly associated with a society’s influence on ones values and beliefs, the acculturative stress experienced, the social pressures presented, and the individual risk factors which are related to the change in one’s environment. Being knowledgable of the potent impact that one’s surrounding environment can have on a person’s mental and physical health is crucial to help save friends, loved ones, and all others.
