| Eating Disorders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Moby dressed up as a feminist | |||
| Airdate | September 11, 2001 September 6, 2019 (Update) | ||
| Curriculum | Health | ||
Eating Disorders launched in BrainPOP Health on September 11, 2001. Over 18 years, an update launched.
Summary[]
The video shows models on TV.
In the end, Moby is now dressed up as a feminist.
Update[]
Moby is work-outing in Tim's garage.
In the end, Moby positions himself on the bench press, struggles to lift the weights, and the bench collapses. "Do you even lift, bro?", Tim says.
Appearances[]
Transcripts[]
Quiz[]
Quotes[]
Old[]
Update[]
Tim: I am not going to spot you. That's every weight in the set!
Tim: Do you even lift, bro?
FYIs[]
Real Life[]
As the Internet boomed in the late 1990s, so did a disturbing online trend: pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia websites that encourage teenage girls to engage in harmful behavior.
These sites function as virtual communities for girls and women who view their eating disorders as “lifestyle choices” instead of potentially deadly diseases. Often, they contain advice about how anorexics can hide their weight loss from concerned parents and friends, “thin-spirational” pictures of ultra-skinny models and actresses, tips about extremely low-calorie and “negative-calorie” diets, and words of encouragement to girls on severe deprivation diets (“Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels!” reads one quote). Contributors to the sites often refer to anorexia and bulimia with the friendly-sounding nicknames “Ana” and “Mia,” and brag about the “control” they’ve demonstrated over their eating habits.
These sites have had a tremendously destructive effect. According to a 2006 study conducted by Stanford University, the vast majority of people with eating disorders who visited these sites stayed sicker longer, and 69 percent of them actually used the diet and purging tips they found there.
Famous Faces[]
Here’s a list of some of the famous people who’ve battled eating disorders in the past.
Paula Abdul: The singer and American Idol judge (pictured) was treated for bulimia in 1994. To help others, she has served as a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
Victoria Beckham: The former Spice Girl detailed her struggles with anorexia and bulimia in her book, Learning to Fly.
Diana, Princess of Wales: The late Princess Di told an interviewer that emotional problems led her to be bulimic for a number of years.
Jane Fonda: In her book, My Life So Far, the actress and activist discussed her 30-year battle with eating disorders.
Katherine McPhee: The American Idol runner-up spent three months of therapy at the Eating Disorder Center of California prior to her appearance on the show. Today, she credits this with saving her life.
Alanis Morrisette: The singer and former teen queen wrote the song “Perfect” about her recovery from an eating disorder.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler: The star of The Sopranos shared her struggles against eating disorders in her book, Wise Girl.
Meredith Viera: The TV personality suffered from an eating disorder when she was younger. She continues to educate others about the importance of healthy eating.
Graphs, Stats, And Numbers[]
1: Percentage of female adolescents who suffer from anorexia nervosa*
1-2: Percentage of females who suffer from bulimia nervosa**
71: Percentage of American adolescent girls who claim they want to be thinner^
18-20: Percentage of anorexics who die due to complications from the disorder#
60: Percentage of anorexics who recover after receiving treatment*
95: Percentage of eating disorder sufferers between the ages of 13 and 25#
57: Percentage of British girls in a 1998 survey who claimed that appearance was the biggest concern in their lives*
*Source: Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc.
**Source: National Eating Disorders Association
^Source: Journal of Youth and Adolescence
#Source: Eating Disorders: A reference sourcebook
Around The World[]
Many observers have noted that the prevalence of ultra-skinny models and actresses on TV, in movies, and in fashion magazines has prompted an increase in eating disorders among adolescent girls. A study conducted by Harvard Medical School seems to back up this hypothesis.
In 1995, the first leg of a survey of adolescent girls on the Pacific island of Fiji revealed that eating disorders weren’t a big problem there. Only 3 percent of the girls had ever vomited to control their weight, and only 13 percent scored “high” on a test designed to measure their risk of developing an eating disorder. But three years later, things had changed drastically. According to the follow-up study, 29 percent of the Fijian girls were at a high risk of developing an eating disorder, and 15 percent had vomited to control their weight.
What happened? Immediately after the first study was conducted, television came to Fiji, allowing the girls to watch American, British, and Australian programs. The 1998 study found that Fijian girls who watched TV three or more nights per week were 50 percent more likely to see themselves as “fat,” and 30 percent more likely to diet—even though they weren’t any more or less overweight than their non-TV-watching peers. One girl said: "We can see [teenagers] on TV...They are the same ages, but they are slim and very tall, and they are cute, nice...We want our bodies to become like that...so we try to lose a lot of weight."
Myths[]
Many people believe that eating disorders only affect girls and women. But recent research has shown that at least 10 percent—and possibly even more—of victims of anorexia and bulimia are boys or men. In fact, a 2007 study by Harvard University claims that a quarter of all anorexics are male!
This issue has received little attention since men are particularly reluctant to seek treatment; often, they feel that eating disorders are “women’s problems” and that having one makes them “weak” or “un-masculine.” There are several other differences, too. Men with eating disorders also tended to have problems with weight during childhood—they were likely either overweight or underweight. And while women with anorexia want to be super-skinny, like the models they see in the media, anorexic men want to be fit and toned—and to achieve this goal, they become obsessed with ridding their bodies of every single ounce of fat.
Aside from these differences, however, eating disorders affect women and men in many of the same ways. Affected men similarly struggle with perfectionism and low self-esteem, and their bodies also break down from dehydration and malnutrition. While anorexic women suffer a drop in the female sex hormone estrogen, anorexic men suffer a similar drop in the male sex hormone testosterone. And like women with eating disorders, men with eating disorders require both psychological and physical therapy to get better. The good news? After receiving treatment, men and women with eating disorders both have the same success rate for recovery!
FYI comic[]
