Source Intergration

“Globalization of Eating Disorders”: An Analysis

L. Michelle Shaw

South College

Analysis

Introduction

Eating disorders are complicated health eating habits that affect many people globally. While this was never a problem in many parts of the world in the past, globalization and media penetration around the world has influenced the perceptions of many young minds, causing them to abandon their cultural eating practices to embrace those from the west, which highlight skinniness as being sexy in this modern world. There is also the influence of fast food eating that has gradually spread into many countries with the opening of such restaurants. This paper will examine three articles and will demonstrate how unhealthy eating seems to be more Western influenced. The current health confusion is as a result of western culture.

Eating Disorder

Eating disorder is a term that is used to refer to an event where a person’s healthy eating habits change into unhealthy ones. While there are many of these, anorexia is a major disorder caused by voluntary deprived eating, triggered by the fear of becoming overweight. The thought of being chubby becomes an obsession such that it affects the individual’s mentality regarding the matter, to a point where it affects their digestion processes through throwing up consumed meals.

Michelle Robertson is the author of “Orion Magazine.” As a recovered anorexic, she narrates her experience with anorexia and how it affects a person. While many people imagine it to be a simple problem, Robertson helps the reader see how complicated a matter it is, one that takes time before the victim can enjoy full recovery. In her story, this writer’s desire was to stay skinny in order to fit the body images she saw on magazines and movies. By narrating her own story, this author employs ethos to win the readers trust. She applies pathos to influence her struggles and logos where she compares her pitiable life with that of the estivating newts. Through her story, the audience is able to see and feel the struggles of an anorexic person, and to view the disorder as an issue needing professional help.

Susan Bordo, in her article, “The Globalization of Eating Disorders,” seeks to explain the root of anorexia and other unhealthy eating habits. In her view, globalization has influenced the Western ideology of not only the meaning of sexy, but also unhealthy eating. Together with the media that has penetrated globally, they have brought the idea that skinny is beautiful, and increased fast food restaurant eating in various countries. ‘Skinny’ in the West is qualified as good looking. Fast foods qualify as a solution to busy working persons. The former causes anorexia, while has resulted in unhealthy feeding habits, and both these problems highly affect the young generations.

Anon, the author of “Freewriting” explains to the writer observes how globalization has changed people’ views on their eating habits, as more embrace the Western eating culture. Together, both authors apply ethos to appeal to their readers. Here, they bring out the real situation on the ground by exposing how the youth are getting affected by the spreading Western culture. While they are not against this lifestyle, they note how it leaves negative impressions on the youth. The idea of staying skinny and eating fast foods instead of fixing healthy meals brings confusion to the idea of the real meaning of what healthy is.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the three articles demonstrate that eating disorders are not a community thing, but rather a mentally impressible one. The Western culture is here to stay. This means that young people around the world will stay bound by this influence, unless a better solution is found.

References

Anon. (2020). Freewriting

Bordo, S. (n.d.). The Globalization of Eating Disorders. pp.1-4

Robertson, M. (September 28, 2015). Orion Magazine