Argument Outline

Argument Essay Outline

1. Title

a. Name of assignment Argument Outline

b. Your Title Relation Between Eating Disorders in Women and Facebook

2. Introduction

a. Question/anecdote/statistic/quote (pick one) “Eating disorders affect the physical and mental health of young people, with anorexia nervosa having the highest rate of mortality of any psychiatric disorder” (Hoek 97).

b. Brief background information Eating disorders are a nation-wide problem. The topic of eating disorders has always been around but it has become especially more common when social media was invented. Social media networks like Facebook, offer opportunities for people to critically compare themselves to others. Because of Facebook, more and more women are struggling with the negative effects it has on a women’s body image. Facebook often shows pictures and advertisements of what many now consider “normal”.

c. Opposition/Counter Arguments In a recent study it was found that the more frequent Facebook usage was connected with larger disordered eating and maintenance of weight-shape concerns compared to other internet activities (Mabe AG, Forney KJ, Keel PK 436). It was also found that the time spent on Facebook was associated with how often women compared their bodies or weight to their friends, as well as how negatively women felt about their bodies after looking at someone else’s posts or photos (Eckler et al 436).

d. Thesis 12% of young women experience a form of eating disorder (Lewisohn, Striegel-Moore, Seeley 98). These young women are exposed to images and advertisements that are shown on Facebook which have normalized the idea that being extremely thin is acceptable.

3. Body

a. Definition For this argument, the following terms will be defined: eating disorder- “any of various psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits, esp. anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa” (OED), anorexia nervosa- “an individual undergoes a severe restriction of food intake in order to achieve and maintain an extremely low weight” (Fairburn and Harrison 97), bulimia nervosa- “a period of binge eating following by vomiting (purging)” (Williamson, et al 98).

b. Developed background and/or history Eating disorders are a serious mental health condition in today’s society. 1-2% of teenager’s develop anorexia nervosa in the United States and 2-4% develop bulimia nervosa (Yager and Anderson 98). Because Facebook portrays unrealistic images of the thin ideal, more and more women are developing eating disorders. Women pick the best photo to post online, and may be using online tools which allow the viewers to unrealistic beauty ideals.

c. Developed counter-argument However, if social media networks like Facebook were eliminated, eating disorders in women would not disappear. Women may feel bad about themselves when looking at Facebook images of other women, but that does not mean they have an eating disorder.

d. Supports from Research Guide 1 (2+ sources)

i. Topic sentence In today’s society, it is hard for women to feel good in their body when Facebook is showing images that have women believing thin is the only definition of beautiful.

ii. Quote 1 “Exposure to the thin ideal leaves many adolescent girls and women with body dissatisfaction, which increases risk for disordered eating over time” (Neumark-Sztainer DR et al 97).

iii. Restatement of quote Many women are using Facebook and seeing the images that are posted daily by other users; when viewing pictures of others, it is easy for women to compare themselves to what is seen.

iv. Quote 2

v. Restatment of quote

vi. Your analysis/synthesis There are 655 million users on Facebook daily (Facebook 516), so it is easy to see that Facebook influences many people. Women believe that what they are seeing is real, even though most of the time it is not. When girls post pictures of themselves they are usually taking shots with the best lighting, pose, flexed, and how they are feeling that day. That is not real life; but it is still

women see those images; that is not what comes to mind. What comes to mind is “I wish I looked like that”.

vii. Transition to next paragraph When women are constantly seeing images of other thin women, they begin to believe that they should look the same way.

e. Supports from Research Guide 2 (2+ sources)

i. Topic sentence The science behind eating disorders begins with the human brain. The psychological factors plays a big part on the main question, why do people think this way?

ii. Quote “Researchers have shown body image to be an important part of a person’s self-concept and have linked body dissatisfaction to various psychopathologies, most freguently eating disorders” (Peat and Peyerl 343-58)

iii. Restatement of quote Eating disorders is indeed an issue in today’s society, mostly relating to body images and social medias like Facebook. The two connect hand and hand.

iv. Quote 2

v. Restatment of quote

vi. Your analysis/synthesis Eating disorders effect a wide range of ages for women, especially in older adults (Peat and Peyerl 343-58). With Facebook showing women they need to look a certain way. The human brain makes women want to live up to these so called “standards” and woman change their life style.

vii. Transition to next paragraph With all the recent and past research on eating disorders, it comes with a cost. Not only with women themselves, but money wise.

f. Supports from Research Guide 3 (2+ sources)

i. Topic sentence The economic side of eating disorders has a surprisingly high cost.

ii. Quote “Eating disorders can be costly to treat and place a considerable burden on patients and their caregivers.” (Wright; Austin; Noh; Jiang; Sonneville 1774-82)

iii. Restatement of quote Eating disorders can be expensive to treat and be very emotional to the people around them.

iv. Quote 2

v. Restatment of quote

vi. Your analysis/synthesis The economic side of eating disorders break down into multiple costs. For example, a patient goes through being diagnosed, treatment, program costs and for some, recovery and relapse (Wright; Austin; Noh; Jiang; Sonneville 1774-82). To be diagnosed with an eating disorder, the patient must have currency with bingeing or purging twice weekly over of three months (Brooks; Rask; Benedict; Schioth 76)

vii. Transition to next paragraph The expenses for having an eating disorder is different for each person. Costs is a broad word because not only does it cost the patient money, but also costs them emotionally.

4. Conclusion

a. Include a brief summary of the paper's main points Eating disorders are a problem for many women. The disorder is easily influenced by social media’s like Facebook. A woman’s body image is important to themselves and is also influenced by Facebook. Since Facebook has been around it has increased the amount of woman with eating disorders, which is increasing the economics of the disorder.

b. Pick one or more

i. Evoke a vivid image

ii. Call for some sort of action

iii. End with a warning

iv. Universalize (compare to other situations)

v. Suggest results or consequences The impact of an eating disorder can make many consequences to the body, physical and mental. The long term health effects from any eating disorder are advanced aging, lower energy, etc.

c. The following are best as the last line of your essay

i. Ask a provocative question Wouldn’t you agree that Facebook influences women to look a certain way?

ii. Use a quotation “Eating disorders affect the physical and mental health of young people, with anorexia nervosa having the highest rate of mortality of any psychiatric disorder” (Hoek 97).

a. By author’s last name

b. Alphabetical order

c. See MLA handout or Owl at Purdue for format

Brooks, Samantha Jane, Mathias Rask-Andersen, Christian Benedict, and Helgi Birgir Schiöth. "A debate on current eating disorder diagnoses in light of neurobiological findings: is it time for a spectrum model?" BMC Psychiatry12.1 (2012): n. pag. Web. 19 May 2017.

“eating disorders, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, May 2017. Web. 21 May 2017.

Mabe Annalise G., et al. “Do You “Like” My Photo? Facebook Use Maintains Eating Disorder Risk”.

International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 47, no. 5, July 2014, pp. 516-523.

Verma, Arushi and Maria-Irini Avgoulas. “Eating Disorders: Perceptions of Young Women and Social Media Portrayal.” International Journal of Health, Wellness and Society, vol. 5, no. 4, Dec. 2015, pp. 97-105.

Wright, Davene R., S. Bryn Austin, H. Leann Noh, Yushan Jiang, and Kendrin R. Sonneville. "The Cost-Effectiveness of School-Based Eating Disorder Screening." American Journal of Public Health104.9 (2014): 1774-782. Web. 18 May 2017.

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