Within our modern society, eating disorders are becoming more prevalent in lives of young people. There are a large variety of causes for eating disorders and therefore is very difficult to accuse one specific thing of being the origin of this problem. The culture behind food has also changed; eating is meant to be a pleasurable experience however it now causes many anxiety and stress. On social media, the desirable and acceptable body image is repeatedly shown to users. In effect, this causes an increase in body awareness; typically, this awareness leads to higher criticism of one’s body. According to the Center of Eating Disorders, “It is estimated that over 10 million people in the United States suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, and the statistics are growing.” In recent years, the stigma surrounding these disorders are beginning to change; people are starting to pay higher attention to these diseases and are starting to make a call for action. 

There are three specific illnesses that are associated underneath the broad term eating disorder. The first is anorexia; this when a person has a serious fear of gaining weight and therefore eat very little to no food. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness(Kajokiene). After the repeatedly neglecting oneself of food, the neurological transmitters within the brain can be altered and will no longer tell the body when it is hungry. This has a very negative effect on the person with anorexia as it only helps encourage the disorder. The second eating disorder is bulimia. Bulimia consists of binging and purging habits. One would eat a lot of food and instantly feel terrible about themselves; then, in order to gain control over what they had just done, they would make themselves throw it all up. It was not until 2013 that binge-eating was characterized as an eating disorder and a mental illness. Binge-eating is the process of eating food well past the point of being full to which it can lead to a series of other health concerns. All three of these different disorders have different effects on one’s body, all of which pose very negative repercussions. 

Eating disorders are known to effect people very differently; “a person with bulimia nervosa can carry on bingeing and purging while otherwise maintaining a high level of functionality. The same goes of those with anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and purging disorder” (Hughes). Although many people are able to keep their disorder from interrupting their daily lives, there are a large majority of people that have eating disorders and are unable to go about their normal lives. For many, these disorders leave devastating effects on their lives. Often people with these disorders are unable to keep a job as it also has negative effects on their relationships and social lives. It is not necessarily the disorder itself that causes these issues but the other mental instabilities that coincide with these other disorders. There is a high association between eating disorders and other mental disorders such as low self-esteem, depression and lack of self-confidence. 

Although it is not the sole contributing factor to eating disorders, social media can serve as a reason that could cause an eating disorder.  The content online depicting celebrity culture has become a very influential aspect of many young people’s lives as social media rapidly gains popularity. The constant exposure to this culture has set unrealistic standards regarding people’s bodies and has increased the expectations that one would have for their own body. Low self-esteem and increased body awareness that result from social media have led to a major influx in eating disorders. To fit the ideals of main stream society regarding the new demanding definition of beauty, young people, especially women, have begun forcing their bodies to adapt through unhealthy dietary patterns. This has been seen not only in the average person, but especially in people of fame who receive lots of media attention as well. The standards set and endorsed by celebrities have become a major issue as it encourages eating disorders.

It has started to become more widely known that the media has a strong influence on people, especially adolescents since they are the most frequent users. A specific influence that it is rapidly becoming more well-known is body dissatisfaction; this is due to the constant portrayal of very small, thin body types. “A recent study by Ogden and Mundray (1996) observed that an acute exposure to such images increased the body image dissatisfaction of adult subjects, whilst exposure to images of overweight individuals ameliorated dissatisfaction” (Champion). Although this study that was conducted isn’t timely, it is still relevant. After the first study was conducted, there was an attempt to study the effect that social media has on adolescent girls. Unfortunately, these results were inconclusive. It was impossible to prove that social media was the cause of body dissatisfaction since there are so many contributing factors. There are a series of predisposed, triggering, and maintaining factors that all are part of developing a disorder. Although social media could be one of the most influential, it was not technically proven. Even though it was inconclusive, the scientists still recognize that media itself certainly does play a role even though they were unable to make the claim it is the sole cause.  

Amy Winehouse is a celebrity who is very well known for her lifelong struggles of abuse and addiction. She was widely known for her deep expressive voice and petite body. Many people blamed her extremely small stature on her well-known drug and alcohol addiction; although it did affect her appearance, a major contributor to her tiny physique was her struggle with bulimia. At a very young age, “Amy Winehouse learned [the] ugly rules of womanhood” (Hughes). Winehouse had not always had the small figure she was known for, in her youth she had the body that would resemble a much more average sized woman. Kayleigh Hughes, writer and contributor for the Pitchfork, notes that this “petiteness” was not normal; it was fought for. A gut-wrenching part of Winehouse’s story is that, “she would openly eat then vomit and considered it her way of staying thin” (Hughes). Many close friend and family members would wait on Winehouse as she spent forty-five minutes in the bathroom vomiting after eating a meal. It was evident that Winehouse was struggling with bulimia but the unfortunate truth is that people weren’t concerned about this habit; it was overlooked and therefore considered acceptable and normal. People considered this disorder as something that was permanent and unchangeable therefore choosing to allow her to continue with this unhealthy routine.  

Living a life under extreme scrutiny of the public, Amy Winehouse would openly eat then vomit and consider it her way of staying attractive. As a celebrity, she and many others are required to stay thin by all means possible. Unfortunately, “disordered eating is so normalized in our culture, especially in celebrity culture, that few people even acknowledge that it’s not healthy, and very potentially fatal” (Hughes). Although it is highly suspicious when a celebrity gains a beautiful figure in a very short amount of time, society manages to overlook how it was done and justify it with the celebrities need to be physically attractive to the public eye. 

Along with the pressure from the public to maintain a highly unrealistic figure, there are a series of environmental and genetic factors that can play a role in certain eating disorders. According to a study that was conducted by “The Center for Eating Disorders”, eating disorders can be hereditary and an individual born with certain genotypes is more at risk of developing a disorder. Additionally, “individuals who have had a family member with an eating disorder are 7-12 times more likely to develop one themselves” (Center). In the past, eating disorders were not considered a mental illness so it was never deliberated that they could be passed from generation to generation. Since eating disorders are not being categorized as mental illness, it is being proven that they can be passed down generations much like any other mental illness. 

Genetics can strongly influence the probability of developing an eating disorders but there are also high number of environmental factors that can also contribute. Social media plays a major role as an environmental factor. It is evident that people with thin bodies are highly praised and therefore become what is desirable by many people. Individuals begin to turn to social media and society for acceptance regarding their own body image. Without the certain body that is considered desirable, these people then begin to have a negative body image and consciousness about themselves. The lack of this culturally glorified figure then influences people to develop unhealthy habits, such as an eating disorder, to gain the confidence and praise from society. Additionally, if an individual finds his or herself surrounded by others who are constantly scrutinizing their own bodies, it is more likely that the individual will start to dislike their own body. 

As a public figure, Amy Winehouse had a lot of environmental pressures from media and society to keep an unrealistically thin body. She created a correlation between public admiration and the way her body looked. Author Kaitlyn Hughes says: 

The environmental and genetic factors at play in Winehouse’s childhood and adolescence put her at extremely high risk for developing an eating disorder, and the lack of early intervention, education, and stable guidance meant that the disease was able to firmly take root and flourish as she was put in higher- and higher-stress situations. 

Due to the absence of concern for Winehouse’s eating habits, this disorder took over and controlled much of her life. The failure to address this illness from the beginning allowed for Winehouse to adapt these morbid habits and conclusively led to her death when she was only twenty-seven years old.

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that it is not only females or celebrities who are having to pick up these terribly unhealthy habits. There are also men who have confessed to having eating disorders. Surprisingly, it is more common for men to have a binge-eating disorder than for women to have this disease. A recent example of this is Penn State football player Joey Julius. Julius confessed to ESPN that he had been struggling for eleven years with a very severe binge-eating disorder (Plaschke). He admitted to eating so much that he would feel sick and couldn’t move so he would have to lay there. He would eat well past just being full to the point that his body physically could not handle any more food. Like most people, Julius was embarrassed and ashamed of his binge-eating disorder and therefore kept it to himself. Not only did it lead to unhealthy dietary patterns but also a series of other mental issues such as low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. Many people do not expect to see this type of behavior in men, especially one who is as strong, tough and as athletically inclined as Julius. 

After confessing to ESPN about his disorder, Julius made the public announcement regarding the issues that he was dealing with. He reached out to all viewers in hoping of helping others who deal with these same personal issues. The goal of his confession was to help create empathy for those struggling and a better understanding that it is possible for men to struggle in the same ways women do. When considering eating disorders, men are often disregarded. It is not typically acknowledged that men can suffer from eating disorders in the same way that women can; however, by having Joey Julius step forward and confess to the public that he has an eating disorder, he is served as a crucial reminder that men are subject to such disorders as well. It can be hoped that by reading articles like such in the media, there is the chance that men won’t feel emasculated for seeking help for an eating disorder. 

Due to the higher rates of awareness, there are increasing possibilities of treatments for eating disorders. According to psychologist Ilona Kajokiene, it can take anywhere from a few years up to twelve to completely recover from eating disorders. Not only does a persons body need to physically recover, which isn’t possible in all cases, but the patient must also be psychologically cured. By attending therapy sessions and talking about the insecurities that led to the disorders, it is possible to help the person with the disorder to overcome it. Although rarely prescribed, it’s also possible to get medication for certain disorders. The most important part about the treatment is allowing for people to understand they don’t have to suffer through their disorder alone. There has recently been a raise in acknowledgement of eating disorders as mental diseases which has ultimately resulted in a call to action. There is more of a drive today to seek help for those who are effected since it is becoming evident the detrimental toll these disorders can have on a person having been left untreated.  

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that these diseases are very hard to treat. A person will start to have an eating disorder due to emotional stressors such as shame. To gain control of their bodies and rid themselves of the shame they will then change their eating habits(Kajokiene). Once a person has started to use a disorder to make themselves feel in control of their bodies, it becomes very difficult to stop. Although it’s possible to seek help through the use of psychotherapy or psychological counseling in addition to possible medication, there is a very long process that a person must go through to make these treatments effective. After someone has had an eating disorder, it is no longer something they do but it becomes part of who they are (Kajokiene). Since it is not only a physical issue but a mental one as well, there is a long process of “refinding” who they are in the absence of the disorder. It can take anywhere from a few months to years for a person to completely recover from their eating disorder. There is no medicine that has been developed specifically for curing an eating disorder. 

Compared to ten years ago, there are huge amounts of progress that are being made, both politically and socially, regarding eating disorders. Socially, it is becoming more widely known that these disorders should be identified as mental illnesses; the acceptance that the disorders are mental illnesses has begun to encourage those struggling to seek help. Now that the negative connotations that surround eating disorders are starting to dissolve, it has granted a new opportunity to allow people to admit to their disorders and not fear the judgement. Since eating disorders are taken more seriously, people have more motivation to seek help for themselves and for others as well. Hopefully, society continues to adapt and people no longer admire the unrealistically thin bodies they see on social media but rather find ways to help those people. 

There are also many changes that are underway that are encouraging political change. Within Israel, there is legislation that is being made intending to minimize the effect that media will have on youths (Hildesheimer). Not only does it target media, but more specifically models and the modeling world itself. There are very well known health repercussions that are expected when considering the modeling world.  The Israeli government is acting to try and set standards for models through legislation. The goal is to act against “cultural beauty demands” and to try and change the unreasonable expectation set upon these women. The law that was passed restricts photo shopping of the models within ads and commercials. The goal behind doing this is to limit societal expectations. If people can no longer compare themselves to such unrealistic standards, which aren’t even real to begin with, then their self-esteem and confidence will be higher. If there are higher rates of people who accept the way their bodies are then hopefully there will be fewer amounts of people who feel the need to either starve themselves or thrown up after every meal. Certain propaganda is meant to draw attention to the bodies of women. Advertisements, movies and TV shows all assist with increasing the standards that now exist on the bodies of women. Models that are seen in these advertisements suffer from extreme eating disorders and assist this stereotype. Through political change, there is hope that models will no longer have to be unhealthy to have a career but can still be successful without having to develop an eating disorder.

This combination of social acceptance and political legislation will hopefully help lessen the number of people who are currently struggling but could also serve as prevention in the future. Society and social media are two of the biggest influencers that will either encourage or deter people from falling into these negative patterns. Celebrities, such as Amy Winehouse, are forced into picking up these unhealthy habits in order to look attractive in the public’s eye. These celebrities then serve as motivation for their fans to do similar things in order to look like the celebrities they admire. Thankfully there is now a greater acceptance and urge to minimize eating disorders. As the stigma behind these disorders is adapting, it can be expected that there will be a higher number of people who recognize themselves as being diseased and will seek help.  By raising awareness and changing the stereotypes that surround eating disorders, there is a greater chance at preventing these tragic disorders from effecting generations to come. Although eating disorders are no new discovery, there is a newfound promise that there will be action taken to limit the impact of social media which will ultimately prevent these disorders from taking hold of future youths. There is also the hope that the increasing attention to eating disorders will encourage the progression of different, more effective treatments. 