Anorexia Nervosa and Body Mass Index Essay

Submitted By Spideysperling1
Words: 359
Pages: 2

Introduction

Everything we do is almost entirely influenced by the media; the food we eat, the music we listen to, the places we go, the conversations we talk about, and the stores where we choose to shop. The media, and most importantly the fashion industry, plays a major role in our conscious awareness of the image of ourselves and others. For young women growing up, constantly comparing their own bodies to models is not uncommon. These comparisons can lead to detrimental eating habits that can damage anyone physically and mentally. These habits, called eating disorders, can be categorized into many different types. The 2 most commonly known are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. According to the ANAD, The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S. (ANAD, p.1) My research asks this question- How does advertising today influence the negative effects on one’s own body image and what can we do to stop it? The country of Israel recently voted to pass a law banning models with a BMI, Body Mass Index, below 18.5 from working in their fashion industry.(Hadid, par. 7) Although the BMI scale is frequently stated to be an inaccurate and abstract health measurement tool, the World Health Organization deems a BMI below 18.5 to be a sign of malnourishment, which is often a trademark of constant dieting and anorexia in the fashion industry.(Hadid, par. 6). A BMI of