The Impact of Cultural Background on Life Essay Example

“rebel” against the actions of the parent.

Western Cultural Influence

“There has been an increase in anorexia among teenagers in recent years, making it the third most common chronic condition among adolescent girls...” (Gaughen,2004, p.17). Here in America media and fads are a major influence on teenage girls. In Seventeen magazine one article talks about loving yourself for who you are but then the next page is top tips on how to lose weight fast. These girls are easily influenced and manipulated into changing themselves based on what society deems to be the perfect woman, how the female brain is not fully developed and mature until twenty-one years old! It is typically during early teenage years that a role model is picked, if that role model is picture perfect, no flaws in site, skinny, tall, basically everything that is unrealistic to a young girl, that can develop lead to unhealthy thoughts, desires and actions in the girl to be like the role model.

A known weight loss fad is the tapeworm diet, which is not legal here in America. Essentially a person trying to lose weight will ingest a tapeworm which will then start to absorb the nutrients from food, making it so a person can consume a higher number of calories without gaining weight. Since the tapeworm is getting the calories and not the person, weight loss occurs. This seems like an easy fad to follow since it is just one easy step to follow however it is a dangerous one because the tapeworm also steals other nutrients from your body and can cause problems in the digestive system.

Social Media Influences

A subculture of people suffering from anorexia

is that of the Pro-Ana movement. Pro-Ana means for anorexia and these members view anorexia as a way of life instead of an illness (Pro Ana Websites: What You Need To Know,2017). The Pro-Ana movement is not secluded to one area because it is mostly an online movement through chat rooms, websites, blogs, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, or any other way of communicating with other people. The tricky thing is that the Pro-Ana movement is not claimed by one initial individual or group, but rather anyone can create their own Pro-Ana group online and initiate specific rules.

In today’s world kids of all ages have social media, parents make YouTube accounts for their babies or young dancers have Instagram to broadcast what they are doing next. In teenage years what people think is all that matters. Any kid with a smart phone would be able to access anorexia supporting websites such as MyProAna.com. The first thing seen when this website is opened is a statement that says the site is dedicated to the support and recovery of those suffering from an eating disorder. However, within a few clicks it is discovered that there a conversation threads talking about easy ways to hide vomiting and other anorexic tips (Anorexia Discussions, 2018).

Popularity is determined by social media, however many likes are on a picture, who commented on it, if its worthy to be seen. Pro-Ana websites can be triggering for a teenage girl who is struggling with her she is and just wants to be accepted in the world. Self- esteem plays a huge role in eating disorders. The more a young girl sees “thin-inspiration” or other posts of

the ideal woman, the more negative feelings they will develop about themselves (Kramer & Kittleson, 2005, p. 5).Social media in general can become a black hole that consumes a child.

Anorexia Addressed Ethically

From experience, when a child is discovered to have an eating disorder it becomes a very hushed thing. No one wants to admit that they failed to see the signs or are bad parents. However, once the severity of the issue is recognized, treatment can begin. Treatments include inpatient, outpatient, residential, hospitalization and numerous therapy options.

Anna Westin Act of 2015

The Anna Westin Act of 2015 was created to properly train and educate people working with vulnerable children such as school personnel and health professional to be able to identify early signs and symptoms and identify an eating disorder (Current Initiative, n.d.). Like with any disease, catching an eating disorder in the early stages is easier to treat than when it is prolonged. This act also aims to provide better coverage of treatment by clarification so that eating disorders will be treated like any other physical disease and be covered (Current Initiatives, n.d.)

Forced Treatment

For a child to undergo treatment against their will it is sometimes as easy as the parents giving consent. Forced treatment can either be in a hospital setting or at home. At home forced treatment can be difficult to maintain due to the informal setting. If a teenager becomes hospitalized due to the severity of their eating disorder forced-feeding will occur. Force- Feeding can happen through a feeding tube placed in the stomach or through an IV. Because the child is under eighteen years of age, the parents' consent to these force-feeding

treatments. If the child is on solid foods, the healthcare team will typically supervise the eating of foods to ensure that the food is not being stored or disposed of.

Conclusion

Anorexia in teenagers can be a result of internal and external motivating factors such as a need to feel wanted or to be like someone they admire. Mental health is seen as a taboo subject in American society today, when stars come out as being depressed or having an eating disorder it is like the whole universe shifted on its axis. Mental health disorders such as anorexia nervosa is also a very real physical disorder that needs the same attention as any other disease. Anorexia can affect anyone with any background but especially those teenagers who are vulnerable, come from a broken family, have low self-esteem or want to fit in. The way society projects what women should be like is one of most damaging things to a teenage girl's self-esteem. The strive to be perfect could kill her.