OK so today I was speaking on face book about the subject of eating disorders. One person in this debate was suggesting that it was brought on by mass media, as in magazines that depict models in airbrushed images of unnatural beauty.
I mentioned that I hold a degree in psychology, and that studies show that Axis-II disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bullima, and others are in fact brought on by much more serious trauma.
I sighted the DSM as my source, since my credentials were in question. For those of you unfamilar, the DSM is the diagnostic manual used by professionals in the field to diagnose psychological disorders.
According to the DSM the eating disorders are the result of a distorted self image. Meaning that a person who has one of those types of disorders actually sees themselves as ugly regardless of how they look. To their eyes the body actually appears differently than it does to other people.
Now for pointing this out I was considered a shovanist, and it was implied that my field of study was less than respectable. This was of course coming from a woman whom the issue was near and dear to. I was banned from the discussion.
So let me understand this all together: I am a man with a college degree in the field. This woman likely has a diagnosed AXIS-II disorder, yet I am not credible.
To this all I can say is, keep starving yourself honey. You can call me whatever you want, but what I am is full, confident, and happy with myself. I ain't even mad.

I'd say that while you're right, there is also a cultural element to eating disorders, and beauty as a whole, that means she's right as well.

I mean, if we kept the same idea of beauty that we had a few hundred years ago, and still considered fat to be a sign of wealth and good looks, would anorexia (no matter the cause for the individual) still exist, or would it be replaced by over eating and pica?

People are ruled by their perceptions.
Doesn't matter if a logical and credible argument is made if people perceive you as negative they will turn their backs to you.
I mean just look at politics if you even mention the word tax the people will run you out of office.

To quote that one movie "(they) can't handle the truth!"

It doesn't physically look different, their eyes are taking in the same light rays and their brain is processing the detection of light rays from their retina in the same way. The idea that they look in the mirror and they actually see a different physical picture is absolutely silly; there's no scientific basis for something like that. But their idea in their head of where they should be is changed. I don't believe mass media is significant enough; I agree with you in that respect. If it were enough, you would think that these conditions would be a much bigger epidemic than they are. Of course, they want to blame someone external... no, it couldn't possibly be their friends harassing them about being fat could it? No, no, their friends would never cause them to have lower self-esteem to the point where it changes what they believe their body should look like. It has to be the evil media.

It would appear so at first hand, and I do not know eating disorders like a pro. I specialized in ADD and ADHD research. The question comes down to Nature vs Nurture. If there is a genetic link, or a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes it, then it's probably safe to say that imbalance would exist in any society (Nature). However id no such biological cause can be identified, or if eating disorders only exist in certain cultures, that would support the notion that society creates the disorder (Nurture).

As far as visualization I didn't mean that they physically see a diferent sized person. I meant that there perception of themselves is warped. They do not see themselves as attractive as they really are. They create impossible standards for themselves. The 75lb woman see's a 75lb woman in the mirror, but to her 75lbs looks obese. Does that explain it more clearly? I am not always good at expressing myself in text. I like pictures and diagrams better.

They actually keep lying to themselves so much that they actually believe it.

I heard ADHD was made up by drug corporations so they can make huge profits.

Damn those worshippers of Shovan!

That is completely untrue. I don't know where you heard that. I mean yeah they cashed in on it, but it's real. ADHD is caused by lazy pre-frontal cortex, and an imbalance of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. You can look at the brain of someone with ADHD and someone who doesn't have it, and you can see that the two are very diferent.

It's like body builders who use steroids because they can't handle the reality of their natural selves and gooble up steriods by the case for bigger and uglier muscles. They look disgusting to normal people but think they look great to themselves.
Fashion models are usually anorexic and many girls want to be models, it's good that you want to help them. I wish you well in your career.

Others that may need your help are women who get briast implants and botox users.

The concept that the part the media plays in their portrayal of body is true, but as a person you have to mentally accept that vision thats being portrayed, you were completely correct to be annoyed, psychology plays a large part, the media is basically like a military psychological warfare machine, that in most cases churns out uninformed opinion peices, but it also takes a person who is susceptible and who may suffer from psychological issues about there body image to take this information and see it as affirming their belief of the image of themselves.

Yes the media is not societies leader of how we should act, or a moral leader, nor does it set standards for our life and image, but their are many people who, are the best way i can explain it as weak willed and susceptible to the influence of this sort of information because they dont have better sources or arent being educated with more factual data or dont have access to it, peer pressure can be a problem for alot of the latter reasons, but peer pressure is also your choice as well.

But media could just be playing to what is already a disorder that is present, not that it is the cause, but it certainly isnt an answer, and certainly doesnt help, alot of times its like pouring oil on a fire.

The fixation on the body in the western culture is what is causing these disorders, I'm pretty positive that's the case, I doubt it's biological. I can't imagine there being anorexic teenage girls places where starvation and other serious problems are an issue.

Thats kind of stupid that they banned you.

But that's the way society is, you have to be politically correct all the time, and you upset a anorexic lady so no matter who you are you get screwed.

Well, eating disorders have very little to do with eating or with one's body. An eating disorder stems from a need by the sufferer to feel like they have control over something in their life, because they feel like they have so little control over something, or most, else.

You're much closer to the truth than she is.

Anyway, you should have learned by now: don't debate an issue with someone who makes claims of, or in a space which values, "special" knowledge or experience. People who make use of such criteria really are just trying to delimit the conversation to those who will agree with them. You'd have been wasting your time in that group even if they hadn't booted you.


It's not about starving oneself. It's about controlling oneself, about fixing something, in order to feel like you're controlling and/or fixing the problems in your life. If Western culture said that rotund girls were perfection itself, then people with eating disorders would instead be stuffing themselves.

The fact is that you are both right. Rates of anorexia and bulimia are much lower in parts of the world to the point where they are almost nil in places like Africa and parts of South America. So obviously media plays a role. But at the same time it isn't like media damns every girl to a life of self hatred, our rates of eating disorders aren't 100%. So culture and mental factors both play a role. To downplay either is foolishness.

Were you disagreeing with her, that you do not believe that media affects body image and can cause eating disorders? You never stated your actual position on the idea of media causing eating disorders.



Could a distorted self image- which you seem to be claiming is the sole cause of eating disorders- not come about as a result of the images of unnaturally thin women portrayed as stunningly beautiful? Media has an impact on the self image of women. There is plenty of research to support this. I am going to assume that you did not flat out disagree with her, since you hold a degree in psychology so you should be capable of reading up on the multitudes of research on this topic that supports the idea of media leading to body dissatisfaction. In which case you getting banned from the discussion could have come about from you being stubborn and throwing about your degree, and you probably pissed her off by bragging about your credentials like they are conclusive proof that you are absolutely right. Then there's the matter of how you finished this post. "Keep starving yourself honey." you hold a degree in psychology, and this is how you approach eating disorders. This concerns me.

Yeah it was just an example. The point was that it's probably not a biological disorder/illness, it is something that is aquired from the mass media and the "expectations" to have a ideal body in the western culture. If the ideal body was much bigger than it is today, there would still be people struggling to reach that ideal body, and there's no guarantee the same thing won't happen to them aswell. People struggle to be perfect, and when they feel they arent some might get self-conscious and eventually develop a distorted image of themselves no matter how they actually look like.

He may well be perfectly capable of performing in a professional capacity, while still letting off steam when not on the clock. Plenty of doctors, lawyers, vets, nurses, teachers, moms, dads, and policemen prove that this is possible.

Yes someday in a professional setting working with real clients in a group or something like that. Diferent setting, diferent rules, diferent values. I wouldn't have said that. On my facebook wall... if you piss me off and act like an idiot. I will occasionally show you how stupid you are and make fun of you. I'm very real, and very blunt. Facebook=not serious buisness.

The thing I look at from a profession perspective, is that it doesn't matter if media is to blame. I am more about saying "YOu have this disorder, how can YOU work on it?" Instead of "You have this disorder, who can we blame?"

The first question is more theraqeutic and productive for a bunch of reasons.

Do I make since or do I need to explain further. (Ill do it tommorow or sometime this weekend. GF WOULD LIKE ATTENTIONS

This.

Also, if Facebook isn't serious bizness, why bother creating a thread here? Not satisfied that your opinions weren't taken seriously? Feel the need to bring what should stay in Vegas to Bethesda?

This isn't about eating disorders, it's a thread to validate your position thinly disguised as a half ass conversation about eating disorders. Perception and prejudice in regards to body types exist externally and internally, and are perpetuated socially by media, by the population, and oh yes, by the medical profession.

Oh yes you are.

Too add more to this post

Ok im going to be blunt too. You are/were acting like a dike. Thats why you were banned from the discussion.

You seem to like stroking your ego, profesional this, degree that. Then you talk about proving people wrong and making them look like an idiot. Proving them wrong, go for it, but then mking them look like an idiot, who does that help ? Oh no one, its just being dikeish.

Also "You have this disorder, who can we blame?". Prevention is better than a cure. Cause is pretty important imo.

Chauvinist. It's spelled chauvinist.

Now people will believe what they want to believe. What you challenged was her delusion that it's not her fault, and that she is a victim of "the media". She reacted poorly to this because people don't like to have their delusions challenged (see: religion).

It doesn't mean the delusion is right, or even that it's wrong, but it is something that she's chosen to believe and has an effect on her worldview. You shouldn't feel bad for offending her. You should feel good actually. If anything you made her think a little bit about it, enough to get "chauvinist" out of her mouth at least.

I think a lot of unhappiness and pain is caused when people hold a delusion and are unaware that it is a delusion. If they were only aware then they would know which ones they chose to believe, because even if you can't live without them it's nice to be able to pick and choose. Who knows.

Maybe we're not supposed to be aware and I'm just crazy.

You're saying I might not be the king of Spain?

Are you saying that cleaning your room doesn't allow for better chi energy flow?