[The role of the media in the development, course, and management of eating disorders]

Abstract

Eating disorders are among the most common psychosomatic illnesses in Western societies. For some time now, the media have been blamed as one of the potential triggers of problematic eating behavior. Several studies have shown that the media convey an unrealistic ideal of beauty and that this can cause dissatisfaction with one's own body, especially among young recipients. However, two central aspects have not yet been thoroughly considered. First, there is a lack of research that focuses on people actually affected by an eating disorder and that considers the role of the media in the development, progression, and coping phase of an eating disorder. Second, there is hardly any research on how and to what extent the disease itself is addressed in the media and how such representations influence the affected group - in communication research, this is referred to as reciprocal effects. Based on previous research in this area, it can be assumed that the perception of how one's own illness is portrayed in the media can have consequences for the self-perception, well-being, and actions of ill persons. This article provides an overview of the complex role of the media in the context of an eating disorder and, above all, highlights gaps in communication research on the topic.

Keywords: Anorexia; Bulimia; Cultivation; Media effects; Social comparison.