Lecture 13

Question 1

What did Cosmo unveil as the “world’s most dangerous secret society” in 2001?

Answer 1

Pro-ana.

Question 2

Media ___ pro-ana.

Answer 2

Demonized.

Question 3

What refers to skeletal pictures of women?

Answer 3

Thinspiration.

Question 4

Pro-Ana

Answer 4

Refers to the belief that anorexia, far from the diagnosis as a medical condition, is a condition to aspire to.

Question 5

Anorexia was first diagnosed in the…

Answer 5

1870’s.

Question 6

What did anorexia nervosa replace?

Answer 6

Anorexia mirabilis.

Question 7

Anorexia Mirabilis

Answer 7

Fasting associated with a spiritual discipline.

Question 8

How was anorexia dealt with in the Victorian era?

Answer 8

Scientific method established anorexia as a nervous disease. Seemed to affect high-born girls from wealthy families.

Question 9

Anorexia nervosa is established as a ___ category.

Answer 9

Disease.

Question 10

What are some treatments for anorexia?

Answer 10

• Normalize eating patterns and body weight.

- Correct any erroneous beliefs the patients may have about food and nutrition.

Question 11

How would you normalize eating patterns?

Answer 11

Re-feeding. Bringing the patient’s body weight up to a point where it’s within the normal range, but not so high as to cause the patient anxiety.

Question 12

What are the three perspectives of anorexia?

Answer 12

• Medical.
• Social science.
• Pro-ana.

Question 13

Social science perspective of anorexia:

Answer 13

Say that our body image expectations are causing these women to be anorexic. Influence of media.

Question 14

Pro-ana experience of anorexia:

Answer 14

Often acknowledge the scientific approach, and may also explain the social science perspective. It is also experiential and aspirational, and contributes to a positive sense of self. Describe it as a means to enable them to get control over their lives.

Question 15

Contradiction of Anorexia

Answer 15

Two competing feelings, one of insecurity about their bodies and the other of tremendous vanity, because they are attempting to achieve this ideal beauty they’ve conceptualized in their minds.

Question 16

Thinspiration

Answer 16

One of the most notable features of pro-ana. Include photos of thin celebrities and models. Provide encouragement to sustain low weight in the face of social pressures.

Question 17

How do groups react to the congruity between Thinspiration and Western standards of feminine beauty?

Answer 17

To social sciences, this is a sign that they are trying to conceptualize a Western standard of beauty. However, pro-ana members describe this as a comfort more than an attempt to emulate this type of beauty.

Question 18

MPA

Answer 18

MPA poses as a recovery site, but part of it is encouraging anorexia.

Question 19

What are the consequences of young people visiting sites like MPA?

Answer 19

Young people exposed to sites like this are more likely to be driven to be anorexic, and are also likely to have negative perceptions of their appearance.

Question 20

Many pro-ana members are ___ to the idea of recovery.

Answer 20

Hostile.

Question 21

What is the goal of pro-ana?

Answer 21

Main goal is the safe management of their anorexia.

Question 22

What do pro-ana sites do?

Answer 22

Offers support in a non-judgemental way, rather than the politically correct approach. Allows members to play out routines/rituals that provide comfort for their challenging lives, and provide comfort in flailing difficult lives and circumstances.

Question 23

Difference between pro-ana and regular anorexic people that is most worrisome for medical professionals and parents:

Answer 23

Refusal to seek treatment.

Question 24

Describe how Anorexia is hard to treat:

Answer 24

Has one of the highest mortality rates of all psychiatric illnesses. 50% make recovery, and remainder developing chronic condition.

Question 25

What is some insight that the pro-ana movement provides?

Answer 25

• Contradictory standpoint.
• Resistance.
• Empowerment.

Question 26

Contradictory standpoint in the pro-ana movement:

Answer 26

On one hand, women and girls idolize and attempt to represent ideals of feminine beauty. Photographs of women and girls inspire them, and they feel as though they have not achieved the ideal. However, as punishments for failure, they renew their regime.

Question 27

Resistance in the pro-ana movement:

Answer 27

Members of the community resists the threat go therapy and hospitalization.

Question 28

Empowerment in the pro-ana movement:

Answer 28

Women get to see their anorexic identity outside of a medical context.

Question 29

What is a consequence of women having eating disorders more than men?

Answer 29

It has been painted as a “woman’s issue.” This feminized view of eating disorders predisposes doctors to overlook diagnoses in men.

Question 30

___ men are more likely to suffer from eating disorders.

Answer 30

Gay.

Question 31

Why are men’s eating issues complicated? Because they are concerned about both…

Answer 31

Men have concerns about their weight, but also their muscularity. Both share overlapping features.

Question 32

What are common features of male anorexia?

Answer 32

Athletic achievement and excessive exercise.

Question 33

What is the double stigma for men with eating disorders?

Answer 33

Double stigma of having an eating disorder, and having what is perceived as a “female disease.”

Question 34

Hospitalization for men with anorexia:

Answer 34

Duration of men hospitalized for anorexia is shorter than women, and men also have fewer suicide attempts. Men report less anxiety with their eating disorders, but there is no difference in terms of binging, vomiting, or laxative and diet pill use.

Question 35

Bodybuilding is characterized by:

Answer 35

Spending lots of time at the gym, spending excessive amounts of money on supplements, abnormal eating patterns, and substance abuse.

Question 36

Bodybuilding is primarily a ___ dominated activity.

Answer 36

Male.

Question 37

What is judged in a bodybuilding competition?

Answer 37

Size, symmetry, and definition of muscles are judged.

Question 38

Difference between power lifting and bodybuilding:

Answer 38

Power lifting. Bench press, squat, and deadlift. Not as concerned about reducing body fat.

Question 39

History of bodybuilding:

Answer 39

Sandow was the first bodybuilder. However, sport didn’t take off until much later. By the late 70’s, the bodybuilding subculture was overlooked. In 1977, Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up on the scene, and became accepted into mainstream culture.

Question 40

Muscle Dysmorphia

Answer 40

Lifting weights is different from a pathological obsession with muscularity. This condition first entered the literature in 1993 with the term “reverse anorexia.” These men, although they were highly muscular, believed they were small and weak. Declined social invitations, wore heavy clothing even in summer, and did not take shirt off on the beach.

Question 41

Effects of steroids:

Answer 41

Steroids have few immediate side effects, but eventually have side effects such as high cholesterol, inflamed prostate, baldness, acne, breast growth, and testicular atrophy. Can also suffer from erectile dysfunction.

Question 42

Gear

Answer 42

Slang for anabolic steroids.

Question 43

How does media portray male bodies?

Answer 43

Make men feel insecure about their bodies. Today’s society also tells us that the enhanced lean muscular physique embodies the healthy lifestyle, but also the minimum all men should attain.

Question 44

Why would men be drawn to muscle dysmorphia?

Answer 44

Women outperform men in school and in workplace, and some men have insecure gender identities. May help explain growth of bodybuilding. Try to regain some element of the past.

Question 45

Difference between healthy enthusiasm and muscle dysmorphia:

Answer 45

Difference is distress about how they look. Are comfortable with the fact that they are seeing gains.

Question 46

Bodybuilding competitions have a certain “carnival” dimension to them:

Answer 46

• Continually look for ways to cheat the system.

- Irony is that bodybuilding, coupled with they use of steroids, leads to undesirable outcomes.

Question 47

What is ironic about the side effects of steroids?

Answer 47

Instead of being hyper-masculinized, these characteristics move in the opposite direction.

Question 48

History of women’s bodybuilding:

Answer 48

In the 1970’s, women’s bodybuilding would’ve resembled a pageant. In the 80’s, it became a contest and competition rather than just sideshows for male bodybuilding contests.

Question 49

A woman bodybuilder is deemed to be successful if:

Answer 49

Her physique shows strength and discipline, but are also encouraged to be feminine through costumes, jewelry, etc. Also desire an hourglass figure while maintaining muscularity.

Question 50

Issues faced by female bodybuilders:

Answer 50

• Often lose breasts, so they get breast implants. Very difficult for them to maintain both standards of musculature while also retaining femininity.
• Also stigmatized. Less intelligent, less attractive, less socially popular. Deviant because they defy gender norms. Less likely to be good mothers, less likely to value feminine interests.

Question 51

How do bodybuilding women deal with labels like “mannish,” “bulky,” or “lesbian”?

Answer 51

Often overcompensate and go to a caricature of femininity. Wear pink, participate in erotic photo shoots.

Question 52

True or false? Many female bodybuilders have ambiguous sexual orientation.

Answer 52

True.