"The Globalization of Eating Disorders" by Susan Bordo

In the reading "The Globalization of Eating Disorders" by Susan Bordo, Bordo describes how the western media has increased the number of eating disorders across the world. Bordo allows the reader to imagine this young girl standing in front of the mirror, for this girl is not fat. However, when she looks at herself, she sees not a woman of beauty, but instead a woman who is not perfect. She just wishes she could be the next "Lady Marmelade" on Moulin Rouge. Bordo then assumes that the reader's image of this girl was a young girl who was white in color and economically secure. But now, instead of picturing a white girl, Bordo allows the reader to imagine Tenisha Williamson, an African American girl. Tenisha struggles to accept her cultural values of being voluptuous. Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia are increasing from day to day in all different cultures. Bordo states that three years after television broadcasting became available in Fiji, 11% of girls were reported with symptoms of eating disorders. However in other countries, such as Central Africa, being voluptuous was a symbol of wealth, while a skinny body represented that of "poverty, sickness, and death." Bordo claims that often times, African brides were even many times fattened before their wedding. Like Frank Osodi says, "An African girl must have hips." Though the media claims they do not have an affect on a young girl's self-image, evidence such as that from Fiji, has proved otherwise. Pictures in magazines teach young girls how to dress, how to act, and what the accepted appearance maybe. It is not the parents nor teaches that teach these ideas to children. It is the media. Bordo states that though eating disorders may predominate in women, they are increasingly becoming more popular in the male gender. Men are abusing steroids, and comparing their muscles to those in famous magazines, such as Sports Illustrated. Some are even going as far as getting cosmetic surgery. As a reader, it is so important to make people aware of this increase in eating disorders, because unlike cancer, there is a cure.
Being a young girl growing up in a society similar to the one described, I often times understand what Bordo is saying ,when she states that women are affected by the mass media. Though we may not often realize how great of an effect it has, it is causing young woman to feel insecure about who they are. We should not look up to individuals in magazines, for they are not reality. Reality is what we see when we look around everyday. They are the people with flaws, because no person will ever be perfectly shaped.
From Bordo's article, I have learned that "what you see is what you get." You will never be anybody else. Bordo has made me realize that this disease is becoming such a greater problem. To think that people are willing to starve themselves in order to be beautiful does even sound appealing. I always told myself that you only live once, so live life to the fullest. If you want to eat a piece of cheesecake, then eat a piece of cheesecake, who cares how many calories you are digesting.
The structure of Bordo's essay is very appealing, by starting off with such an image, the reader is able to connect to the situation, but then by throwing a twist she once again reiterates the idea of the disease becoming globalized. In the body of the essay, Bordo provides several statistics to back up her thesis, whether it is Fiji, African American weddings, or existence of eating disorders in Asia. And finally Bordo concludes by stating reasoning as to what steps can be taken in order to address this problem of an increase in eating disorders across the world.