11. Is Anorexia a Cultural Disease?

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2012/09/what_causes_anorexia_and_bulimia_new_eating_disorder_research_says_it_s_not_a_cultural_disease_.html


On September 27, Slate Magazine's freelance science writer Carrie Arnold wrote about anorexia explained whether or not it was a cultural disease. She introduced the article by talking about her own experience with anorexia, how it affected her, and why she refused to eat- simply because she "wanted to feel better." As she lay in the hospital bed, hooked onto IV treatments, Arnold studied anorexia and eventually wrote a book that talked about anorexia was,  and what were the causes of it. Next, she included results from a surveys made in 2000 and in 2006. These showed that eating disorders were caused by genetics, environmental factors, infections, and other factors unique to individuals.

Carrie's purpose in her article was to inform readers eating disorders were not solely caused by the culture- they were also caused by individuals' own desire and ambition to feel and look better. Midway through the article, she put in her own viewpoints about the media, and what she thought about it when she said "Frankly, I think the Barney's creation of Skinny Minnie and her newly svelte compatriots is ridiculous. They look absurd and freakish. I think we should be aware of and speak out against the thin body ideal..." Furthermore, to prove her point that culture was not the main cause of anorexia in individuals, she included evidence from studies made in 2000 and in 2006. In the last paragraph, she restated her thesis, and said eating disorders were "illnesses that ruin lives."