What is the Sociological view of eating disorders?

[Juaan]

What is the Sociological view of eating disorders?
Like, how does society perceive individuals with eating disorders to be. Also, the prevalance of eating disorders in different cultures i.e. are eating disorders less common in the East than in the West?

[sandyfromoz]

Hello Juann and welcome to our forum. I am 45 and been diagnosed with "non-specific eating disorder", basically I have been affected since I was 14. It means I can be starving myself for days on end, to overeating, to bullimia. When I was accepted into an out patient clinic for eating disorders, it was soon evident that the older sufferers more or less aren't catered for. General consensus when you say eating disorders, most people think of the teenagers. They don't expect to see a grown woman, weighing 140kilos. I know I'm not the only one with a disorder, there are many of us out there.As it is at the moment in Australia anyway, not much is available as far as re-hab, counselling etc.

[sandyfromoz]

Why come here and ask something like that then piss off.........................

[oliviafoster2008]

Here is a myth buster; most people believe that eating disorder is more prevalent in women than men. The fact is that eating disorder- weather bulimia or anorexia is prevalent everywhere and across cultures. Of course there could be some exceptions, like having been fewer cases in Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia.

[PlatinumPink]

I think now when you say you have an eating disorder people have more sympathy towards it rather than taboo as in the past. It is more common or moreso, people are now coming out and telling their story about their disorders now than previous times.

[Dee Leshuz]

Why come here and ask something like that then piss off.........................



I think someone was doing a sociology paper and figured we'd be a good target group.

Olivia, where's your source for data? I'd be interested in reading it.

[oliviafoster2008]

Eating disorder such as Bulimia and Anorexia is naturally less prevalent in the East than the West, due to scarcity of food, poverty, inflated prices and rising population. People tend to starve unwillingly and not willingly. But socially across the global eating disorder is never appreciated.