Eating disorders are not a modern phenomenon; disordered eating has existed throughout recorded history [CITATION NEEDED]. However, since the 1960 's the number of recorded cases of anorexia has risen rapidly (Daww 21) and it 's a cause for concern. It 's important for parents to educate themselves and understand the causes of the disease so they can better shield their children from it. There are many different reasons for a girl to develop anorexia, but two very influential contributors to the disease are the media and even parents themselves-- by way of their own behavior and attitude. Some within the medical field may argue that the fault for anorexia lies within the genes and they 're not wrong. Dr. Julie O 'Toole and her contemporary, Dr. Tom Insel, both believe that anorexia is a neurological disorder, or more simply put: a mental illness similar to autism or schizophrenia (O 'Toole). Similar to schizophrenia and autism, this would mean that it is "nature" and not "nuture" that is the main cause for anorexia. With some research it is clear that genetics are …show more content…
One of these environmental factors, the media, is an ever present entity in most of our lives today. Billboards, magazines, movies, television, Facebook: it 's everywhere and it 's virtually inescapable. We are subjected to seeing the same formulas play out on the big screen and in TV series, continuously soaking up the norms that they present. Actresses that play wives are, more often than not, conventionally attractive while husbands provide a little more diversity. The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of Queens, and The Flintstones are just a few shows that follow the "hot wife, slob husband" trope. The problem is not that the pair are together, but that women have not been allowed, in pop culture, to be fat, to be sloppy, to be "ugly" and still be a likeable character. What is celebrated in males is scorned in women. In today 's society, "fat" in relation to women is a bad word and that needs