How anorexia nervosa is increasing

My research question has changed a little due to the heavy presence of information about anorexia nervosa on the internet. There is a lot of useful information giving the etiology of anorexia nervosa, and bulimia and how to find treatment. There is also a lot of pro anorexia information on the internet.  I did not expect such well rounded pro-ana information on the internet. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental disorders. Clinicians have to monitor these pro ana sites and networks so they can help their patients change their thinking patterns and behaviors. People are exposed to more advertising than 5,10, 20 years ago. There is a gradual increase in the incidence of anorexia in the last 40 years. This also coincides with the media placing a strong emphasis on thinness. Thinness has become enmeshed with beauty. Anorexia has an average age on onset. When studies are conducted and young people in this age group are asked how they feel after seeing advertising with ultra thin models, their response is they have a negative image of their own bodies.

When anorexia was first described several hundred years ago, it was recognized as being present in males and females. Surprisingly, modern medicine has overlooked young males with eating disorders. There is a push for research and surveys to include males so there can be a protocol for treatment. I have learned that advertising and the media's portrayal of beauty being found in ultrathin models has had an impact on anorexia and other eating disorders. My intentions with my essay are to describe anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders not otherwise specified, (ENOS) so the reader understands why someone would willing starve him/herself, describe the average age of the disease onset, relate how exposure to advertising can influence one's personal view of body image, and how a dissatisfied self image can lead to an eating disorder. These eating disorders commonly have resistance to treatment, there is also a high likelihood of relapsing back into harmful behavior. I would like to include treatment information, specifically how individuals are taught how to improve their self esteem.

Are anorexia and bulimia influenced by popular culture, specifically advertisements?

Anorexia Nervosa and other eating disorders are considered ‘fads’ or extreme diets by people that don’t recognize these are real mental disorders. Anorexia is the deadliest mental disorder because it can cause damage to organs like the heart and kidneys. There is also a very high suicide rate. Popular culture and mass media glorify skinny people and mortify overweight people. Has this constant bombardment of the thin ideal contributed to the rate of anorexia and other eating disorders?  My research question is does popular culture influence anorexia and other eating disorders? There is a very large segment of young people that have characteristics for anorexia and bulimia but do not meet the medical guidelines because they are not severely underweight enough, people that fall into this group are categorized as Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). The EDNOS group is the fastest growing group. The statistical size for the anorexia and bulimia groups are relatively stable, but these individuals are medically ill as well as suffering from a mental disorder. How can one group grow significantly over the last 20 years and one group stay relatively unchanged?

I think anorexia and bulimia are both growing, they are under-reported. I also think research needs to expand to include younger girls, and males. I may be wrong. I still need to finish reading through my annotated bibliography sources.

New Media Response Essay #4 Draft

Don’t be mean behind the screen.

Children are technically savvy at a very young age, almost every home in America has a computer, children are given cell phones, tablets, and they have access to the internet on a daily basis. These children will go on line to their Facebook or Instagram accounts, they tweet and text before leaving grade school. Another aspect that exposes children to new media is many schools require accessing the internet for school work. This online life opens the possibility of being bullyed on the internet. Cyberbullying, online harassment has an off-line impact. While traditional bullying is still more common than cyberbullying; the 2 forms of bullying are closely related. Studies show the roles of offender and victim are repeated online; children who are bullied at school are bullied online and those who bully at school repeat this bullying behavior online. Cyberbullying continues past childhood, high school and college students are also bullyed on-line. Adults and professionals are also harassed online but the wording for this abuse is slightly different, cyberharassment or cyberstalking. As the American public uses the internet for more aspects of their daily lives, cyberbullying has to be recognized and addressed.

Cyberbullying essentially entails the "use of internet service and mobile technologies such as web pages and discussion groups as well as instant messaging or short message services, (SMS) text messaging with the intention of harming another person". (1) Bullying actions can include using New Medias to engage in deliberate, hostile behavior by an individual child or group that is intended to harm another child or group of children. Often these bullying actions are repeated on the internet and can have serious effects on the victim in real life. Considering that New Media forums are easily repeated and rebroadcast, harrassment of one child can be viewed by a large audience, this can compound the negative effect on the victim. Even when the abuser is called out and apologizes for the bullying act, there is no way to delete the bullying messages that were repeated by forwarding. The bully can be blocked but the negative message cannot be so easily recalled.

Where does the responsibility for Cyberbullying lie? With schools and administrators, or with social media sites like Facebook? Do parents carry the largest burden? Traditionally, children are held less accountable than adults. Surprisingly, the answer may be the biggest impact may come from re-educating children and holding children more accountable when they choose to engage in cyberbullying.