Eating disorders are influenced by both societal and individual factors. Historically, body ideals have varied greatly over time and between cultures. In medieval Europe, larger body sizes were seen as attractive and a sign of health and fertility. In the 19th century U.S., being too thin was a health concern for women. However, today's Western cultures often idealize thinness. This societal emphasis on being thin, along with differences in eating disorder rates between cultures, indicates that social influences play a role in eating disorders. However, considering the individual, the disorder itself, and all potential causes, eating disorders cannot be solely attributed to societal factors alone.

1. Are eating disorders solely a product of society?
Are eating disorders solely a product of society?Are eating disorders solely a product of
society?Eating Disorders Prompt: April Fallon (1990) describes the change in perceptions
of attractiveness in the book,Body Images: Development, Deviance, and Change. She writes
of the latter Middle Ages that “the ‘reproductive figure’ was the ideal—corpulent, with
emphasis on the stomach’s ‘fullness’ as a symbol of fertility. Between 1400 and 1700, fat
was considered both erotic and fashionable.” Regarding the nineteenth century, Fallon
writes, “At its height in the 1880s, young women in the United States worried about being
too thin…Doctors encouraged a plump shape as a sign of health.” This contrasts with our
present near-obsession with thinness and provides a perspective that emphasizes the
societal factors that may be involved in eating disorders. Similarly, the differences in
prevalence in Western, industrialized nations and less developed societies should clearly
indicate the social influence on eating disorders. Consider what this means.Are eating
disorders solely a product of society? Consider all aspects of the individual, the behavior,
the disorder, and the potential causes in your answer.ORDER NOW FOR CUSTOMIZED,
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