Haven't seen the show, but I do enjoy discussions and debates on the eating disorder phenomonon. I attempt to keep my comments civil.
From what little I know about it, It seems as though it's most common in the USA. How common is it in other nations? Do significant percentages of women in Canada and Mexico do this to themselves? South America? Europe? Asia? Africa?
I've heard eating disorders are also pretty common in the U.K. and Australia...
But yeah, obviously eating disorders in the U.S. get the most attention due to harsher standards of how beauty is perceived...
Ciao,
Peace & Love,
Jen
*~*JeNnYdOoM*~*
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In the part of mexico where I live, the EDs are off the charts! it's like 1 in every 5 teenagers HAVE an eating disorder... its quite sick...
I am Jack's complete lack of surprise
I was reading of women in China who fit the criteria for an eating disorder, but they did not have the Drive for Thinness. That is interesting.
shareIt seems that EDs only come up in developed areas of the world. I doubt that a teenager working on a farm or in a factory in a developing nation has the time to be concerned if they have a double chin or not.
"Wa-la that's French for Taa-Daa."
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Eds didn't start in America. They exist everywhere and the only reason why we suddenly think that people in other countries are 'catching' them is because of the amount of attention that has been drawn on them. Eds are common everywhere including Euorpe and Asia, only thing is that they're much less publicized.
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See the safety of the life you have built...
You find eating disorders in all countries.
shareI am from South Africa. At least two of my close friends have anorexia. I can probably name 20 girls around me who suffer from some sort of ED. I don't think they are trying to live up to the celebrity culture or 'American Dream'. It just happens sometimes when young teenage girls grow up and try and come to terms with who they are and the society around them. I think you'll find the same thing in most countries where the struggle for daily survival is not an issue.
Television. Television is the explanation for this!
<I think you'll find the same thing in most countries where the struggle for daily survival is not an issue.>
That sounds right.
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety
I don't know for a fact, but I would think that it makes sense for eating disorders to be more prevalent in developed nations where the citizens don't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. With an over-abundance of food like we have here in the States, you can worry about not eating too much so you won't get too fat whereas if you lived in an impoverished nation, you would be more concerned with making sure you have enough food to feed your family for the week rather than how big your ass has gotten.
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The official stats mark Japan with the highest percentage of people with eating disorders.
I'm pretty sure Brazil is next.
Surprising? Not really, think about the values and behaviours of most people in those cultures.
(Those are stats I got from the Eating Disorders Association by the way. They were correct in 2006, they may have changed, and as you all know it's impossible to "track" everyone with an eating disorder.)