However, associating eating disorders with women is a common misconception because "studies have shown that males are more at risk of developing disordered eating behaviors as well. Internalization of media ideals creates an increased level of drive for thinness and is an important predictor of drive for muscularity in men." (Juarez et al.) This is proof that eating disorders are not only directed towards women who starve themselves. They affect everyone who is less than satisfied with their body and image. Eating disorders are also more than just the physical tricking the body into starving it or coughing up the last meal to lose the pounds, they're also psychological. If a person is not happy with their physical state, this should be considered a mental issue and could become very serious if that person loses control of it. "In medical and psychological literature, anorexia is defined as a disorder with a psychological background characterized by drastic weight loss caused by limitation of food intake, intense physical workout, or administering purgation drugs. This disorder is accompanied by a deadly fear of putting on weight. The sick person is excessively concentrating on his or her own look due to a distorted self-perception." (Kaźmierczak et al.) This distorted self-perception is established by the social norms that have spread like wildfire over the past several decades. The countless number of subliminal messages that are faced every day containing thin, 'beautiful' women and overly muscular, 'sexy' men make people think that that is what perfection is.
"You can never have too much of a good thing." One of the biggest lies in the market today. Of course a person can have too much of a good thing. "All things in moderation," is a phrase that directly contradicts the last statement. There is nothing wrong with using photo-shop on a model to make him or her seem more appealing, however, when people only see unrealistically thin people in the media today, it makes them feel worse about themselves.
