McDonalds vs America

Supersize Me Clip

Why is it that American children are able to positively identify Ronald McDonald over Significant figures such as the president or Jesus? I feel this is the devastating result of a child's raising at home and the school systems. It is so sad to imagine what is being taught in schools and by the parents of these children. If a child knows a fast food figure over Jesus then there is a problem!

Apparently, these children are being taken to McDonald’s more than they are being taken to church! Overweight and Obese children are a product of their parents. Since a first grade child cannot drive themselves to restaurants or cook their own food, parents have to take responsibility. Building healthy lifestyles starts from day one of life. It is almost not fair to a child of this age to expose them to fast food. Of course it tastes good and it is fun to play on the playground, but the parent is destroying their child’s body.

Obesity is a very common eating disorder among American people and is growing as the years go. It is so common that America as a country is known for being fat! We, as American citizens, need to realize that the disease is being developed in children and could haunt them for the rest of their lives, leading to the reputation that the U.S.A. has. As a parent this realization could be the ultimate change in the lifestyle of, not only their children, but also of all overweight Americans. Come on America, make a change for the children.

Supersize Me- American Children Being Interrogated. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. First Grade Students. 10 June 2008. www.youtube.com. Web. 19 Mar. 2011.

The clip was taken from a full length movie called Supersize me. It was posted on the website http://www.youtube.com/ for any viewers. It is an interview portion of the movie where the director, Morgan Spurlock, interviews first grade students about significant authority figures in America. The product of the children knowing certain figures over other is a result of Obesity in young children.

Binge, Purge, Repeat...

Mature Man Vomitting Into Toilet Bowl

Binge, Purge, Repeat. The daily routine of a Bulimic person can start to sound repetitive. Being Bulimic sounds like an ideal "diet plan" right? Quick results and no strenuous activity. It sounds perfect at first glance. However, an outsider does not see the harmful side effects and long term damages that a person with Bulimia suffers with.

Binging, which is the act of eating excessive amounts of food at one time, leads to the guilt a person with Bulimia faces. Guilt is that green monster that grows inside this person and eventually leads to the act of Purging. Purging is the more harmful act that a Bulimic performs. Of course the obvious danger is that a person is not digesting their food and getting the nutirents and vitamins they need. Behind the scenes is the real damage. Throwing up produces acid that permantently damges the esophagus and tooth enamel.

Even though Bulimics know these risks, it is almost impossible to defeat the nasty illness. A chemical imbalance in the brain prevents logical thinking and allows a persons body to continue hurting itself. Those who survive Bulimia are considered conquerers. Defeating the disease is rare, but possible. Getting rid of the Guilt monster and the reaction to throw up are the main keys. Binge, Purge, Repeat... Who knew it was more than a routine?

Dazeley, Peter. Mature Man Vomitting Into Toilet Bowl. Getty Images. Web. 18 Mar. 2011.

The "Mature Man Vomitting Into Toilet Bowl" photo is an image that was made for purchase. It was created as an example of Bulimia to depict a Bulimic person. This photo is relevant because Bulimia is a very common eating disorder among young and old adults. The image can be found on GettyImages.com and can be purchased by any person looking for an image of Bulimia.

The Girl In The Mirror

"I lift my arm out of the water. It's a log. Put it back under and it blows up even bigger. People see the log and call it a twig. They yell at me because I can't see what they see. Nobody can explain to me why my eyes work different than theirs. Nobody can make it stop. "

http://everythingchangesbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/girl-in-mirror.jpg

Body image is one of the most universal thoughts around the world. Everyone worries about their hair, clothes, weight, or facial features sometime in their life. Even if someone says they do not care, they still have that thought of what they “aren’t caring about”.  A self-conscious teen or adult’s body image is so fragile. It can be boosted or broken at any moment.  A simple comment or magazine picture can send a tornado through one’s self esteem.

The “Girl In Mirror” photo exemplifies body image. How outsiders see the girl looking into the mirror, is far off from how she sees her own self. The way she perceives her body is what leads to her obvious eating disorder. It is impossible to determine her disorder from a photo, but it is clear that her vision is not 20/20. But what causes her vision to be blurred?

Apparently, when an eating disorder is developed in an unstable person’s body there is also a chemical imbalance in the brain of the person that makes them see themselves differently. Most of these individuals have a low self-esteem already and are still constantly put down. This should be a lesson to all of us without disorders to be kind to those who do face this problem. It is a disease that cannot be helped and the more we stare and laugh, the more differently the girl in the mirror sees herself.

 

Girl In Mirror. Everything Changes. Web. 16 Mar. 2011.

The “Girl In Mirror” image is one used on many websites and articles for eating disorders. This particular example was used in an article posted on a website called Everything Changes to discuss eating disorders and cancer. This image completely explains the concept of body image. It is relevant because how someone sees him or herself is what leads to many eating disorders. The photographer does a wonderful job showing how this concept is perceived and getting it across to his or her audience.

Anderson, Laurie H.Online posting. Quotes Tagged as Eating Disorders. Good Reads. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2011

The quote was one of many quotes posted on an online posting for Quotes tagged as Eating Disorders. It was posted my author Laurie Anderson in response to requests for similar quotes along with other authors quotes. The words are very meaningful and relevant to body image. The speaker is wondering why her eyes are seeing differently from everyone elses. This explains the whole problem with eating disorders and how it affects the brain. Anyone wondering about eating disorders and why they do the things they do to the body would be the audience for this quote.

Demi Lovato's Impact

http://www.televisioninternet.com/news/pictures/demi-lovato-weight.jpg

Demi Lovato, an up and coming Disney channel star, has recently been admitted into rehab for her devastating conditions. Fans are in an uproar after seeing her photo tweeted on her twitter account showing her dramatic weight loss. Not only has her weight gone down, but so has her brain! She is cutting herself and finally reached her breaking point. She made the tough decision to check herself into a rehab center to get "professional help".

Can you imagine how these conditions are affecting Lovato's mainstream audience? Young girls have to watch her fight through Anorexia and depression. It is sad to think that a young girl, who already has plenty of self-esteem issues, has to watch her idol be unhappy with herself and her body. I could not imagine watching the person I looked up to suddenly go downhill right in front of my eyes. If she is not happy with herself, then why should I, as a young girl, be happy with myself?

I do not think Lovato realized how big of an impact a personal picture of herself could do to her career and fans. The photo revealed to the world that she was dealing with an eating disorder. Demi’s disorder is assumed to be Anorexia or Bulimia. She struggled through her teenage years with being unhappy with her body image. This eating disorder led to her bold statement of resulting to cutting her wrists leaving visible scars to paparazzi and fans. Lovato has returned from rehab and is trying to go on with her career. Hopefully, her fight will be a learning experience for young girls and not something they will want to mimic to be like their idol.


Demi Lovato Weight Loss. 2009. Lalate News. Web. 14 Mar. 2011.

This photo was one tweeted by Demi Lovato herself. It was published on a website for Lalate News along with an article elaborating on her conditions. This photo shows Demi Lovato's dramatic weight loss. It made a huge impact on her fans and evoked chaos within her fan world. This photo is available to everyone on the internet but is more accessible to Demi Lovato fans, being mostly young girls.  

Anorexia's Living Face

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS2mfWDryPE

Isabelle Caro’s bold move to model for the “no anorexia” campaign is an action she will forever be remembered by. This campaign was started after a 21-year-old Brazilian model died from the eating disorder, Anorexia. Isabelle was also a well-known model before the downfall with her eating habits. Caro exposed all with a purpose to shock the world with her frightening condition.

Anorexia also known as Anorexia Nervosa is a disorder characterized by fear of becoming fat and the refusal of food. In "Anorexia's Living Face", Caro talks about her struggle with this disorder and her road to recovery. She also explains many of her low points in her fight with the disorder. Isabelle states that her lowest weight was around fifty five pounds. This number is what made Caro’s simple picture on a billboard the reasons on lookers have realized there has to be a change in the modeling industry. It has too much of an influence on its models.

The pressure for Isabelle to be, and stay, thin in her prime years was the cause of her death. Caro’s purpose for going out on a limb and modeling nude was to “shock”. She confesses that the main cause of her disease was from the pressure to stay skinny while she was young in order to get all she could out of her short-lived modeling career.  It is so sad to see how brave and willing to help Isabelle was. Hopefully her bravery will trigger something in struggling young people today, resulting in a change in eating disorder statistics.

Anorexia's Living Face. CBS News, 12 Oct. 2007. www.youtube.com. Web. 26 Feb. 2011

This video comes from the website youtube.com and has had over forty thousand views. It was originally aired on CBS news and was embedded to youtube.com for public view. This source is significant because it provides pictures and video of the effects of anorexia. This video also shows how much of an impact the modeling industry has on its models. Young people and even adults will be triggered by this shocking story and be convinced to make a change in their lives as well as make a change in their friends and families lives. The video provides many side effects and symptoms of anorexia and can be a learning experience for anyone who wants to learn about this disease or anyone who needs something to force them to change.