Social and cultural determinants of beauty and body shape, comorbidity of eating disorders with mood

Influence of social and cultural determinants on body shape and the development of eating disorders

1. If you mindlessly scroll through Instagram or Facebook whenever you get a few seconds of downtime, you’re far from alone. But have you ever wondered how all those images of other people’s bodies – whether your friend’s holiday snap or a celebrity’s gym selfie – could be affecting how you view your own?

a) Social and cultural determinants of beauty and body shape influence the development of Eating Disorders (ED. Look at magazines and newspaper articles for information on glorification of the ‘ideal’ body shape. Examine what is deemed as ideal body shape and what is practiced to achieve such standards in our society. Explain some consequences that result from these behaviors.

b) Samantha is a 19-year-old college sophomore. She is referred for evaluation of depressive symptoms with passive suicidal ideation. The initial evaluation reveals that over the past four years, Samantha has been restricting her caloric intake to barely 1200 calories a day, and she has a stringent exercise regimen. Due to these behaviors she weighs 46 kg. She admits she would like to lose more weight, despite her BMI of 16 kg/m2. She also reports several neurovegetative symptoms, including depressed mood, anhedonia, impaired sleep,
low energy, and persistent thoughts of death.

The case study indicates that individuals with eating disorders often present with other comorbid psychological disturbances such as anxiety disorders and mood disorders.
Discuss the various pathways by which these conditions may be interrelated.

Note: A minimum of 5 academic journal articles or book chapters published from 2010 onwards are required. The Study Guide and Textbook do not count towards this minimum. General advice for Question 1

A) You are expected to have determined the behaviours people engage in to obtain the ideal body shape and the range of problems these behaviours trigger. It is important to discuss the comorbidity of eating disorders with mood disorders and anxiety disorders. For the critical look, you can argue on the overlap between eating disorders, mood disorders and anxiety disorders.

B) You need to provide a Reference list at the end of your assignment (last page), which shows all the references you have cited in your answers, the textbook or any published material like books, journals or periodicals. The references must be presented in APA7 (American Psychological Association) format.

Relevant material
In order to answer the question, students are advised to use information from Chapter 5 (Anxiety, Trauma-and Stressor- related, and Obsessive-Compulsive and related disorders), Chapter 7 (Mood Disorders) and Chapter 8 (Eating Disorders) of the textbook. However, they have also been advised that reference to relevant research studies and examples are essential, and to use at least 5 academic journal articles published in 2010 or later to gain a deeper understanding of the topic. Reference to relevant research studies and examples should be rewarded accordingly.

Students have been advised that presenting an argument with supporting evidence and critical evaluation will make for a better essay than a descriptive essay. This assignment requires some description but it goes on to ask for more analytical, argument-driven material and this is where marks are to be earned. Students are reminded to cite their sources and provide complete references.

The essay should begin with an introduction that will outline the materials to be covered and what the basic argument will be. Students also need to demonstrate the skill of being concise to fit the material into the word limit of 1200 words