Eating disorders, namely pica and rumination disorders, anorexia, and bulimia, represent serious and complex issues encountered by young people. Society needs to pay attention to this challenge because teenagers, even without mental disorders, can suffer from unhealthy eating behaviors. Therefore, regarding eating disorders from the psychosocial and cultural point of view is more reasonable as these conditions stem from psychological problems experienced in the adolescent age.
The articles investigate the problem of eating disorders, and this represents the attributes the pieces have in common. Regarding the other aspects, one can see that studies examine the subject from different perspectives. Nevertheless, both clinical and psychosocial dimensions of eating disorders are essential in reaching a holistic understanding of the issue. Although the articles employ qualitative research methods, they differ because Delaney et al. (2015) use interviews, and Keel and Forney (2013) conduct a literature review. On the one hand, interviews seem more effective in collecting empirical findings, which help identify patterns in a specific phenomenon. However, the populations selected by Delaney et al. (2015) are exceedingly broad and varied in terms of age, health condition, and setting. Thus, the interview method in the abovementioned study has a weakness because one can find it challenging to distinguish eating behaviors in representatives of a particular group.
On the other hand, the literature review is a robust method as it highlights the psychosocial and cultural perspectives of eating disorders. In turn, one can see the practical implications of the findings, such as developing preventive interventions for adolescents, as has been emphasized in the other article (Keel & Forney, 2013). Given this, the literature review that considers different ethnicities but focuses on the same-age population contributes to a more comprehensive and global view of eating disorders. Consequently, one can agree with the conclusion made by Keel and Forney (2013) because it clearly restates the problem and offers directions for further actions. Concerning the discussed topic, it is possible to assert that the literature review is wholly justified and has no weaknesses.
The implications concerning the preventive interventions against eating disorders are highly significant because nowadays, social media, such as Instagram, has substituted television. The trends for thinness remain, but they have only migrated to another, more interactive environment where appearance-related cyberbullying prospers. Thus, the abovementioned implications are related to the modern issue that altered its forms. In this regard, public health interventions, especially peer-based ones, as Keel and Forney (2013) suggest, can be expanded to the area of social networks. Although television programs and documentaries on this topic exist, they are insufficient to draw broad public attention. Furthermore, parents must learn and know more not only about eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, but also what hides behind, namely specific behavioral signs their children reveal when they encounter weight-related bullying.
Although eating disorders do not represent the pandemic-scale challenge, they occur relatively often. A personal experience worth mentioning concerns my former classmate, a girl who ate sand and spiders and sucked coins like lollipops. It is unknown whether she was diagnosed later with any condition because she changed that school. However, this event is consistent with the article by Delaney et al. (2015) regarding pica disorder. The experience suggests that such people can be around, but no one may know about their inclinations, which emphasizes the importance of public discussion concerning eating disorders.
Finally, the articles discussed contain valuable information about eating disorders. However, one cannot assert that they contributed exactly to the understanding of adolescent psychopathology, but they highlight the huge-scale impact of cultural trends on teenagers’ self-perceptions. The findings and conclusions of both articles provide a common sense that eating disorders need further research, along with drawing public attention to the problem and developing interventions for adolescents.
References
Delaney, C. B., Eddy, K. T., Hartmann, A. S., Becker, A. E., Murray, H. B., & Thomas, J. J. (2015). Pica and rumination behavior among individuals seeking treatment for eating disorders or obesity. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 48(2), pp. 238-248.
Keel, P. K., & Forney, K. J. (2013). Psychosocial risk factors for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 46(5), pp. 433-439.