Eating disorders across cultures

Implicit out-group preference is associated with eating disorders symptoms amongst Emirati females

“…Similarly, acculturation is also suspected of playing a role in the rise of psychological problems (Ghubash, Daradkeh, Al-Muzafari, Manssori, & Abou-Saleh, 2001), particularly those associated with eating and body image concerns (Abou-Saleh, Younis, & Karim, 1996;Gordon, 2000;Nasser, 2009;Schulte & Thomas, 2013;Thomas, Abdulrahman, & Khan, 2010). Cases of eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa, were first documented in the United Arab Emirates in the 1990s (Abou-Saleh et al, 1996).…”

“…Beyond the UAE context, it has been widely argued that contemporary eating disorders are profoundly influenced by Western social norms (Gordon, 2000(Gordon, , 2001, also referred to as the IMPLICIT OUT-GROUP PREFERENCE AND EATING DISORDERS SYMPTOMS 5 "global culture of modernity" (Nasser, 2009). This global culture, which has come to characterize many rapidly urbanizing parts of the world, is viewed as eliciting a rise in obesity rates, which is closely followed by increases in weight consciousness and disordered eating.…”

“…This global culture, which has come to characterize many rapidly urbanizing parts of the world, is viewed as eliciting a rise in obesity rates, which is closely followed by increases in weight consciousness and disordered eating. The global culture's media has also been implicated in the rise of disordered eating, and has been criticized for the standardization and marketing of an aesthetic ideal that often challenges traditional body image ideals (Nasser, 2009). In support of this view, Gordon (2001) reviewed epidemiological data for nations where eating disorders first began being reported in the 1990s.…”

“…All four of Gordon's factors resonate strongly with the UAE's rapid socioeconomic transition (Thomas et al, 2010). Nasser (2009) hypothesizes that in the context of such transitional circumstances, those individuals with insufficient adaptive resources to support adjustment to the new cultural environment may suffer from "acculturative stress". She further argues that, in such circumstances, some individuals "resort to the 'body' as a new medium for expressing this cultural confusion and distress" (p. 347).…”

How Black women make sense of ‘White’ and ‘Black’ fashion magazines: A qualitative think aloud study

“…Body dissatisfaction and weight concern are common amongst young girls and women in the Western world and although many possible causes have been identified including peer pressure, family dynamics and individual cognitive schema much research has highlighted a central role for the media (Glauert, Rhodes, Byrne, Fink & Grammer 2009;Nasser 2009;Dittmar 2005;Brook and Mussap, 2012;Ahern et al, 2011;Santoncini et al, 2012). In line with this, an American survey found that 70% of over five hundred adolescent girls stated that magazine images determined their ideas of the beauty ideal and 47% wanted to lose weight as a result (Field, Cheung, Herzog, Gortmaker and Colditz, 1999).…”