1. Part one Ways of Looking

2. Throughout history, body image has been determined by various factors including politics and media. Current exposure to mass media is so powerful and influential, it is leading to increased body dissatisfaction among both men and women, which in turn can lead disordered eating. While our nations health continues to reach a point of crisis, adults and children are becoming increasingly overweight and meeting the criteria for obesity. Meanwhile, rates in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are rising and patients are being referred progressively younger.

3. We are constantly bombarded with the message that you have to be thin to be desirable. The media portrays happy, successful and feminine women as always being thin.

5. Who is affected? Eating Disorders affect 70million individuals worldwide. 90% of those who have eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25. While women are more commonly affected, more than a million men and boys battle the illness every day. One in three hospital admissions for eating disorders involves a child. The prevalence of eating disorders has increased in the last 30-40years

6. There is no single cause for eating disorders. Although concerns about weight and body shape play a role in all eating disorders, the actual cause of these disorders appear to result from various factors

8. Feeling the need to gain control

9. Those who have difficulty expressing needs or feelings

10. Feeling worthlessness at not being able to match up to family expectations

11. A life crisis or death of a loved one

12. Depression, feeling sad and avoiding doing things with friends

14. In another 20% of cases, treatment is partially successful

15. Eating disorder treatment is fully successful in 60% of the cases

17. My aim is that my project will create awareness on how exposure to mass media is correlated with negative body image, leading to disordered eating and eating disorders. It will appeal to male and females in the 10-25 age bracket, as these are the individuals most commonly affected by eating disorders I hope to highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle and body image in order to combat the increasing number of people affected by disordered eating.