Are the media to blame for eating disorders?

Every year, the College holds a debate between two teams of psychiatrists. The audience includes schoolchildren from London and the South East of England. Prior to the debate, Jo Swinson, MP and co-founder of the Campaign for Body Confidence set the scene by discussing how poor body image and low self esteem contribute to eating disorders. The debate was chaired by Dr Jim Bolton. The speakers were Dr Joan Brunton, Dr Pippa Hugo and Dr Adrienne Key, consultants in eating disorders in south west London, and Dr Alice Lomax, a psychiatric trainee.

Both teams acknowledged that the causes of eating disorders are complex, and include such factors as genetics, personality, and life stresses. However, the debate hinged upon whether representations of the ‘ideal’ body in the media were a crucial trigger for eating disorders, or whether they were simply one of many interacting causes. Both teams acknowledged the “pernicious bombardment” of the supposed perfect figure, using examples of the portrayal of both men and women in the media. Many of the audience were surprised by the extent of digital manipulation of images in newspapers, magazines and advertisements.

Prior to the debate, the majority of the audience agreed with the motion. However, after the debate, and following questions and comments from the audience, the vote swung against the motion. This was probably due to both teams of debaters making clear the complexity of the causes of eating disorders.

Although the rate of eating disorders is increasing, particularly among boys and men, there is a positive side to the potential role of the media in tackling this problem. The imaginative multimedia presentations used by both teams of debaters showed how, as well as being potentially harmful, the media can also be an important tool to bring about positive change.