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Are eating disorders becoming more common, and if so, why? Word count: 999

The prevalence of eating disorders has certainly increased over the years, with it being suggested that around 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder (Walsh et al., 2020). This can be attributed to several reasons, but mainly social media. The rise in social media has seen the idea of having an ideal body type and size reach all areas of the world. Evolutionary psychologists argue that, in females, a small waist-to-hip ratio is most desired, as this indicates high fertility as well as low long-term health risks (Singh, 2006). This has been supported in almost 20 ethnic groups, suggesting there is a universal ideal female body type. This of course is extremely dangerous for those that do not have this body type, as no matter how much weight a female loses, their waist-to-hip ratio will not drastically change. Whilst this perpetuation of an ideal body type has almost always been around, the increase in prominence of social media means that it is at the forefront of people’s minds, more so than ever before.

Social media is, therefore, a driving factor in conveying the supposed ideal body type to millions of people every day. ‘Instagram’ is perhaps the guiltiest platform for doing this; body editing is a prominent feature of ‘Instagram’, but it often goes undetected by its users which only increases the likelihood of body image issues and subsequently an eating disorder occurring. This relationship has been investigated by many researchers; a 2018 study presented 144 girls aged between 14 and 18 with either manipulated or non-manipulated images on ‘Instagram’ (Kleemans et al., 2018). It was found that exposure to manipulated photos directly led to poor body image, and the manipulated photos were further rated more positively than the original, non-manipulated image. It was also very difficult to detect

whether the images were edited. This study is key in demonstrating the power of social media and the negative effects it can have; the editing that takes place on apps such as ‘Instagram’ perpetuates the idea that all females need to have a certain body type, which results in anyone that does not have this arguably unrealistic body having poor body image and subsequently increases their risk of developing an eating disorder. This is incredibly dangerous as young girls are those who spend the most time on ‘Instagram’, yet they are the most impressionable to these images, which is perhaps the reason why, for example, the average age of onset for anorexia nervosa is 16-17 years old (Kleemans et al., 2018; Oecd & OECD, 2019).

It is important to note that whilst studies usually discuss females, and the small waistto-hip ratio, males also suffer from eating disorders, and the prominence of them amongst males is also on the rise. Figures show that around 25% of those affected by an eating disorder in the UK are male (Murray & Robb, 2017). In the same way the ideal female body type is proposed, the ideal male body type is too, with this being an inverted pyramid with broad shoulders and a small waist (Leit et al., 2002). Perhaps this can be attributed to the wider media; it has been found that the frequency of images showing semi-naked men over the past 30 years in magazines has greatly increased, with these images usually showing the ‘ideal’ body (Halliwell et al., 2007). Similarly, action figures have become increasingly more muscular over the years, and now exhibit completely unattainable bodies (Handelsman, 2001). With the ideal body type consequently being almost everywhere, it is not surprising that male eating disorders are on the rise - whilst they are not discussed as much as female eating disorders due to them being more stigmatized, they are equally as dangerous. It is likely that as media and social media continue to grow, unfortunately so will the prevalence of eating disorders.

Furthermore, not only are eating disorders becoming more common amongst men and women, but this reaches all cultures - not just Western society. This can be attributed to the rise in global Westernization, especially present in Asia. The West has played a large role in the economic development of Asia, and this has come with an increase in exposure to other Western influences such as its media, where the ideal body type cannot be escaped and is thus transmitted to non-Western society (Pike & Dunne, 2015). The subsequent exposure to Western media that has come with Westernization has led to eating disorders in the East, therefore, becoming more common. This is also true outside of Asia and in other eastern countries - India has reported that eating disorders are up to 10 times higher than in previous decades (Das & Ashok, 2018). It is thus apparent that the invasion of Western media has changed cultural ideals on what male and female bodies should look like, and its negative effects are demonstrated in the alarming increase in eating disorders exhibited by those all over the world.

It is ultimately undeniable that eating disorders are on the rise, and the speed of this rise is incredibly concerning. Eating disorders are becoming increasingly universal; any gender, as well as any ethnicity or culture, is at risk of developing an eating disorder. The idea of having an ideal body type has been around for years, but the rise in prominence of social media, as well as the wider media, has ensured that anyone with access to technology is able to see what the world thinks they should look like. This may have been isolated to Western society, but, due to the increase in Westernization and the reach its media is able to have, individuals all over the world are exposed to perfect bodies - it cannot be escaped unless one completely eliminates all media from their life, which many are not willing to do. With the rise of media and Westernization, therefore, it was inevitable that eating disorders would become a large feature of modern society, and, unfortunately, it will continue to rise unless

intervention is taken.

References Das, K., & Ashok, K. S. (2018). Anorexia nervosa in rural South India. In Archives of Mental Health (Vol. 19, Issue 1, p. 47). https://doi.org/10.4103/amh.amh_17_18

Halliwell, E., Dittmar, H., & Orsborn, A. (2007). The effects of exposure to muscular male models among men: exploring the moderating role of gym use and exercise motivation. Body Image, 4(3), 278–287. Handelsman, D. (2001). Book Review Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession By Harrison G. Pope, Jr., Katharine A. Phillips, and Roberto Olivardia. 286 pp., illustrated. New York, Free Press, 2000. $25. 0-684-86910-1. In New England Journal of Medicine (Vol. 344, Issue 2, pp. 146–147). https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm200101113440218 Kleemans, M., Daalmans, S., Carbaat, I., & Anschütz, D. (2018). Picture Perfect: The Direct Effect of Manipulated Instagram Photos on Body Image in Adolescent Girls. In Media Psychology (Vol. 21, Issue 1, pp. 93–110). https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2016.1257392 Leit, R. A., Gray, J. J., & Pope, H. G. (2002). The media’s representation of the ideal male body: A cause for muscle dysmorphia? In International Journal of Eating Disorders (Vol. 31, Issue 3, pp. 334–338). https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.10019 Murray, H. B., & Robb, A. S. (2017). Eating Disorders in Males. In Eating Disorders in Special Populations (pp. 233–246). https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315153124-9 Oecd, & OECD. (2019). Young people spend more than four hours per day online. https://doi.org/10.1787/64487d06-en Pike, K. M., & Dunne, P. E. (2015). The rise of eating disorders in Asia: a review. In Journal of Eating Disorders (Vol. 3, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-015-0070-2 Singh, D. (2006). Universal allure of the hourglass figure: an evolutionary theory of female physical attractiveness. Clinics in Plastic Surgery, 33(3), 359–370. Walsh, B. T., Timothy Walsh, B., Attia, E., & Glasofer, D. R. (2020). Who Provides Eating Disorder Treatment? In Eating Disorders.

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