Sociological Imagination On Anorexia

Sociological imagination is that idea that you can relate personal troubles to public issues in society. The video provides obesity as an example of a personal issue that can also be viewed as a vast societal problem as well. Like obesity, eating disorders like anorexia can be an example of sociological imagination too. Anorexia is a disease that can be analyzed on the personal level while it is under an individual’s control whether or not to eating food. However, it can also be examined on a public level because it affects a lot of people in our society and the causes stem from our culture’s behaviors. Anorexia is an emotional disorder characterized by a fixated desire to lose weight by denying eating food. This is a personal issue when girls look at themselves in the mirror and wish to be as thin as they can be. In order to achieve this “ideal” thin figure, girls will starve themselves, which will ultimately cause major health issues. Destroying ones body by not feeding itself takes an enormous toll and shut down its metabolism. This can be viewed as an isolated, personal decision because the individual chooses not to fuel the body, due to personal emotional reasons.
Society places a large importance on being fit. Media takes it a little far and portrays the ideal girl to be super thin, to a point where it is unrealistic. There are many girls who suffer from this disorder, making it a perfect example of sociological imagination. Anorexia affects an estimated 5-20% of American women. This disorder affects so many individuals because our culture is constantly bombarding us with images of what the “ideal” perfect woman looks like. Society is obsessed with looking as thin as the models in magazines, but we don’t think about how every body is different. Anorexia is a mental disorder that is influenced by