We have all seen it. Actresses such as Keira Knightley and Angelina Jolie that are super skinny, super models that can be even skinnier, and stores that sell clothes that seem to be so tiny that only 10 year olds could fit in them. Because of the promotion of this body type, many men and women attempt to make themselves fit the Western society’s mold of a beautiful body by being skinny. The constant pressure from the media can even make a person depressed and feel that their bodies are inadequate. Also, many people develop eating disorders while trying to create their ‘perfect’ body. Recently, a behavioral study, which can be seen in Behavior Magazine, investigated the relation among disordered eating-related cognition, psychological flexibility, and poor psychological outcome in a nonclinical college sample
It doesn’t take rocket science to find out that psychological health is behind the development of an eating disorder. Anorexia, bulimia, or any other type of eating disorder could be caused by low self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, and depression (The Psychology of Eating Disorders”). Eating disorders can affect everyone, but are most prominent with female college students. Perhaps this is because of the students’ wish to be accepted by their new peers or even achieve self- acceptance. In fact, about 40% of girls in college have an eating disorder. I would also like to take this moment to state that although women make up the majority of those suffering from eating disorders, men are also able to have eating disorders. However, due to the common idea that eating disorders only affect women, few men come forward when they struggle with eating disorders.
Despite the fact that eating disorders are a predictor of psychological distress, it does not necessarily lead to greater emotional distress. Recent research findings suggest that emotional suffering is associated not only with personal problems one might have in life, but also with how a person responds to these problems. Therefore, psychological flexibility seems to be a possible link between disordered eating and poor psychological outcomes (“Disordered Eating-Related Cognition and Psychological Flexibility as Predictors of Psychological Health Among College Students” 3) For those of you who are not psychology majors, including myself, psychological flexibility is the ability to be aware of your emotions, eliminate the emotions that are unproductive, and choose appropriate responses (“Don’t be angry. Get psychological flexibility”).
In the recent study that was conducted in a large university in Georgia, a survey was given to 440 participants. The students that completed the survey in less than 15 minutes or more than 60 minutes were eliminated from the sample due to the “questionable validity” of their responses. This left a total of 375 participants. As predicted, disordered eating related cognitions were positively correlated to emotional distress. This is further evidence that emotional distress is a cause of eating disorders.
Also in the study, psychological flexibility was negatively correlated with emotional distress and therefore eating disorders. This means that the more psychological flexibility you possess, the less likely you are to have emotional distress or even eating disorders. This is because if you are psychologically flexible, you are able to dismiss that nagging voice in the back of your mind that constantly tells you that you are not thin enough or good enough. Overall, the results of the study “revealed that both the conviction of disordered eating-related cognitions and psychological flexibility were significant predictors of general psychological ill-health and emotional distress in stressful interpersonal contexts” (“Disordered Eating-Related Cognition and Psychological Flexibility as Predictors of Psychological Health Among College Students” 9).
Although psychological ill-health can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, psychological flexibility also plays a major role in emotional distress. Those with a low psychological flexibility are more likely to suffer more that a person with a high psychological flexibility. So in order to decrease the amount of eating disorders in the world, we should work on boosting self confidence about our bodies. Whether you are skinny or curvy, lanky or toned, be comfortable with your body and don’t let TV ads force you into becoming what the media considers beautiful.
Works Cited
“Disordered Eating-Related Cognition and Psychological Flexibility as Predictors of Psychological Health Among College Students”. Behavior Modification July 2010.
“Don’t get angry. Get psychological flexibility.” March 2010. http://www.mbs.edu/index.cfm?objectid=F2BE10E8-5056-AD5D-EB12957736226A20
“The Psychology of Eating Disorders”. 3 March 2009.
http://www.eatingdisordersonline.com/blogs/general-eating-disorder-blogs/the-psychology-of-eating-disorders
“Eating Disorders Among College Students”. http://www.waldenbehavioralcare.com/eating_disorders_among_college_students.asp
Image:
“Female Celebrities and Eating Disorders.” http://www.getallabout.com/female-celebrities-and-eating-disorders/
No comments:
Post a Comment