In both of the articles, I noticed many interesting things. For example, I noticed that there is a stereotypical person for eating disorders. This stereotypical person is described as being a financially secure, white girl. Instead, eating disorders affect people of all genders, cultures, and races. In the other article I read, titled "Her Chee-to Heart", the author has a penchant for describing foods that she eats as they are, high in fat and full of chemicals. The authors both use rhetoric to help keep the reader interested and also help persuade the reader to a certain view. "Not Just a White Girl Thing" instructs the reader to think outside of the stereotypes that society has. "Her Chee-to Heart" almost forces the reader to reflect on what is inside foods and what is being consumed on an every day basis.
I wonder how many cultures are affected by the current eating disorder pandemic. I know for certain they are in westernized cultures, but I am curious to see the extant of Western culture's influence. I am also wondering what percentage of men in the world are suffering from body-image issues and eating disorders. I wonder if there are any major flaws in both articles' statistics and argument. I wonder if white girls are still being affected as heavily as other races, which I feel like is what the author doesn't want you to believe.
There are copious amounts of information missing from the worlds' point of view about eating disorders. Eating disorders affect a majority of people in western cultures and also cultures that the west influences. I think that men should not be forgotten about when it comes to image issues and eating disorders. I know from personal experience that there are expectations for men when it comes to image and that it does make some men insecure about their bodies. I think both of these articles resonated with me and I was very moved by these articles. Eating disorders and the amount of chemicals and fat in foods should not be treated lightly. They are both serious issues that can harm any person out there who is willing to be sucked into the expectations that society creates. I do believe that the article discussing eating disorders in different cultures uses credible sources for statistics. The author also uses personal experiences to help persuade the reader to agree with their argument. Overall, both of the articles were informative in their own ways. One used a blend of personal experiences and facts to help the reader understand that eating disorders can affect anybody. The other uses personal experience, descriptive writing, and some statistics to help inform the reader about the fat-filled foods that play a role in peoples' everyday life.
I was thinking the same thing about the author's point of view concerning her issue with white women being the stereotype. Perhaps white girl's are the majority so that is why it is typically portrayed that way. Does she have the data to show that it's equal among all races and genders? It would be interesting to see the results on that.
ReplyDeleteI have also questioned whether eating disorders are westernized problems or they are a pandemic thing. The author only barely touched this subject about china but what about other places like Africa.
ReplyDeleteNice discussion, Macintosh. I agree that "'Her Chee-to Heart' almost forces the reader to reflect on what is inside foods and what is being consumed on an every day basis." It really forces us to look at the foods around us.
ReplyDeleteI especially appreciate your questions about these two pieces and would love to see more statistics on eating disorders in men.