The impact of racial stereotypes on eating disorder recognition

Abstract

The results have implications for public awareness of eating disorders, as well as clinical implications for work with eating disorder patients from various ethnic backgrounds.

Presentation of eating disorders in the news media: What are the implications for patient diagnosis and treatment?

“…Research shows that EDs are indeed most prevalent among women 15-19 years old, but they are not uncommon among older people [18]. Race: The public ED discourse largely excludes ethnic minorities, based on the belief that different cultural views about physical attractiveness do not promote the same behaviors across ethnic lines [19]. While some studies report that ethnic minorities have lower ED symptomology than whites, others report comparable prevalence rates, and no study has found an absence of ED symptoms in minority populations.…”

Eating and body image disturbances across cultures: a review

“…Conventional wisdom dictates that it is the influence and adoption of Western values that has led to the rise of eating disorders in the non-Western world (Rieger, Touyz, Swain, & Beumont, 2001;Weiss, 1995). There have been a number of reasons put forward as to why eating disorders were thought to be rare in such societies, including the following: non-Western societies traditionally did not greatly value thinness and instead valued plumpness (Afifi-Soweid, Najem Kteily, & Shediac-Rizkallah, 2002;Buhrich, 1981;Lee, Leung, Lee, Yu, & Leung, 1996;Nasser, 1997;Tsai, 2000); the collectivistic structure of family and society offered some degree of protection Tsai, 2000); and that eating disorders simply were not recognised within the society and in turn, were not brought to the attention of the appropriate clinicians (Becker, Franko, Speck, & Herzog, 2003;Buhrich, 1981;Gordon et al, 2002;Silber, 1986;Striegel-Moore & Smolak, 2000;Tsai, 2000).…”

“…In explanation, it is often argued that eating disorders are 'Western culture-bound syndromes' and that individuals from non-Western societies have some immunity to such disorders (Gordon, Perez, & Joiner, 2002;Lai, 2000;Nasser, 1997;Timimi & Adams, 1996;Tsai, 2000;Wildes, Emergy, & Simons, 2001).…”

A comparative study of South Asian and non‐Asian referrals to an eating disorders service in Leicester, UK

“…It is plausible that different ways of construing problems, shame, prejudice and racism might all play some part in making it more difficult for an Asian woman with an ED to find her way to a specialist secondary service. There is some evidence that racial stereotyping may hinder the recognition of EDs in ethnic minorities (Gordon, Perez, & Joiner, 2002). However, were such difficulties in accessing care to be the crucial factor in the lower rate of referrals, it would be expected that those people who did reach the service would have disorders that were more chronic or more severe.…”