Quote – “Yeah, okay.  Exaggerate much?”  I do look at other demographics and there is a lot of wonderful mainstream magazines and programs beginning to bust the myth on what is attractive out there. However the young women and teen girls suffering from this disorder obviously are NOT seeing what is being accepted as attractive.

 Two years ago my sister lost her daughter to anorexia she was 17. Her reasons for starving herself was her image of herself, she needed to look like the women in the fashion mags and in the movies because this would be the only way to be accepted by girls her age and to attract boys. A close colleague of mine is a therapist and has been in the field for over 30years. She deals with not only eating disorders but also other society-based disorders. Most of the individuals she councils are teen girls and she is getting a rise in numbers of these girls as patients.  These girls tell my colleague that they want to be skinny. They want to look like the women in the magazine articles, movies and music videos. They are often told by their boyfriends or peers that they are “too fat” or if they can’t dress or look like the popular girls they are ostracized. And it is just not eating disorders this applies to. If this is not influenced by society then what would you deem it as?

 

It is a known fact that humans emulate each other and want whatever the other guy has especially if that person holds a place of prominence in society. Humans do not want to be rejected by their peers and if it happens enough social disorders of some type are often the result. This is very true of young people and they are often the main targets of eating and social disorders. You can’t tell me that the fashion, entertainment and music industry and other popular corporations bombard these kids on a daily basis to use their products or listen to their music and if they don’t they are not “cool” and will not “fit” in with their friends. My last child living at home is 16 and he tells me if you don’t have the popular “gear” you are not acceptable and no one wants to hang with you.

 

The rate of people suffering from depression and social disorders in North America is growing each year and most psychologists and therapists are attributing this to society’s demands on people. Some say they don’t understand how society can make one feel bad about themselves and that is great for those people. However, if an individual has never had any other positive influences in their lives society is there only role model that they gage themselves by. Society has always played a role in influencing people always has always will. What is different today as opposed to years gone by is how we raise our children to look at themselves. It used to be you had your parents telling you that you didn’t need a bunch of stuff, to surround yourself with false friends and be the popular one to feel good about yourself. Unfortunately many kids don’t have this today with the break down of the family unit.  I agree there are more magazines and outlets showing more types of people in many sizes and shapes. There even used to be a program on one of the cable networks of a fashion show for plus size ladies. Some media groups are trying very hard to get the message out that we are not all alike and it’s okay in being so. Then why is there such a startling rise in social and eating disorders in so many people?

 

Cheers,

Micheál

 

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