Social Stereotypes Of Eating Disorders In The United States

Eating alone in public is something people of all ages have issues with, not just college students. A social stigma has developed over eating alone and it makes us nervous to eat alone. These fears of eating alone, developed from social stigmas in society cause some students to establish eating disorders and develop depression problems. These problems have a lasting effect and lead to bigger issues, especially in college students. College students everywhere face pressures from society regarding eating alone, this issue can escalate into issues with depression, eating disorders, weight gain, and a lack of overall social interaction. The issue of dining alone affects many people of all different ages, especially in the United States. Eating alone is one of the most nerve wracking experiences for many people. For example, Suzanne Lenzer, author of article “On Eating Alone” wrote about her experience in London, she was not afraid of being in a foreign country.

They develop anxieties regarding eating alone because they are too focused on what others are thinking. Instead of focusing on themselves and another task they will feel self- conscious about how others are perceiving them. The reality is most people are too busy worrying about themselves therefore they are not thinking about how others may appear (Huffington Post). Due to the fact that people worry about eating alone due to others perceptions of them, the issue of eating alone does not arise if they are truly by themselves. Meg F. Schneider, discusses in her Huffington post article, “For College Kids: How to Eat Alone in the Dining Hall” most college students do not feel uncomfortable when eating alone in their room in front on their computer. This leads one to believe the issue of dining alone is about people’s insecurities of looking as if they have no