Eating Disorders: Disease or Choice?
EATING DISORDERS: DISEASE OR CHOICE?
Barbie is known as one of the most common toys that young girls play with in their adolescent years. These growing girls, look up to Barbie and see her has a role model of perfection. Barbie has a perfect mansion, car, clothes, boyfriend, job and life overall. But most of all, she has the “perfect” body. This is the woman that most girls desire to be like when they grow up. They want to be perfect, just like Barbie. This desire for perfection is one of the main causes of eating disorders for both men and women around the world. While there are many different organizations and treatment establishments, the aid required in overcoming an eating disorder is very expensive. Many insurance companies deny coverage for the treatment of eating disorders because they view it as a choice, because the treatment is too costly, as well as the uncertainty of the treatment for each individual patient. The standards for qualifying as having an eating disorder are very high; it is very difficult to qualify for covered treatment. The government needs to rectify this by providing more health coverage for people with eating disorders, because with the growing impact of the media, the death rate from eating disorders will only increase.
The worldwide role model for generations of women, Barbie, does not fall short of perfection. Although, what many girls do not know, are the horrors of what a real, life-size Barbie would be like. Dr. Margo Maine, in her book, Body Wars, reveals the truth behind a human Barbie: “If Barbie were an actual woman, she would be 5'9" tall, have a 39" bust, an 18" waist, 33" hips and a size 3 shoe” (“Barbies” 1). While these characteristics might sound appealing to some women, this “perfect” frame would cause a woman many problems (“Barbies 1). With these proportions, Barbie would not likely menstruate and would need to walk on all fours as if she were a household pet (“Barbies 1). The doll’s head, hands and feet
Barbie is known as one of the most common toys that young girls play with in their adolescent years. These growing girls, look up to Barbie and see her has a role model of perfection. Barbie has a perfect mansion, car, clothes, boyfriend, job and life overall. But most of all, she has the “perfect” body. This is the woman that most girls desire to be like when they grow up. They want to be perfect, just like Barbie. This desire for perfection is one of the main causes of eating disorders for both men and women around the world. While there are many different organizations and treatment establishments, the aid required in overcoming an eating disorder is very expensive. Many insurance companies deny coverage for the treatment of eating disorders because they view it as a choice, because the treatment is too costly, as well as the uncertainty of the treatment for each individual patient. The standards for qualifying as having an eating disorder are very high; it is very difficult to qualify for covered treatment. The government needs to rectify this by providing more health coverage for people with eating disorders, because with the growing impact of the media, the death rate from eating disorders will only increase.
The worldwide role model for generations of women, Barbie, does not fall short of perfection. Although, what many girls do not know, are the horrors of what a real, life-size Barbie would be like. Dr. Margo Maine, in her book, Body Wars, reveals the truth behind a human Barbie: “If Barbie were an actual woman, she would be 5'9" tall, have a 39" bust, an 18" waist, 33" hips and a size 3 shoe” (“Barbies” 1). While these characteristics might sound appealing to some women, this “perfect” frame would cause a woman many problems (“Barbies 1). With these proportions, Barbie would not likely menstruate and would need to walk on all fours as if she were a household pet (“Barbies 1). The doll’s head, hands and feet