The Pressure to Be Perfect: A Study of Disordered Eating in Culture and Literature
By: Chloe Brown
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Take a closer look at how society, media, and literature shape the way we view eating disorders
Eating Disorders: A Social Epidemic
Eating disorders have become a devastating social epidemic, affecting millions, including teenagers, adults, and even children. According to Douglas Bunnell, “9% of the US population, or 28.8 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime” (Bunnell). Eating disorders are characterized by extreme and unhealthy relationships with food (Petre and Marengo). Disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating not only threaten physical health but also take a severe toll on mental well-being (Hanson). Despite growing awareness of these disorders, unrealistic beauty standards, lack of mental health resources, and the normalization of unhealthy diet culture continue to contribute to the rise of eating disorders (Graber). Is there a solution to combating the social epidemic of eating disorders, and if so, how? Research proves that through monitored media, improved education with increased awareness, and accessible mental health treatment, this epidemic can be alleviated (Levine). For those struggling with eating disorders, social media can feel like a trap, bombarding their feeds with images that glorify thinness, encourage damaging dieting, and make disordered eating seem normal. Algorithms only make things worse, repeatedly pushing content that reinforces unrealistic body standards that may seem overwhelming. This relentless loop makes it even harder for people to heal and restore a balanced relationship with food and their bodies (Harris). While monitoring media alone may not completely cure eating disorders, it can make a significant impact in both prevention and recovery (Nawaz). By fostering a healthier digital space that reduces harmful triggers and promotes mental well-being, monitored media could help minimize the development of eating disorders. To build on this effort, we can shift detrimental societal norms towards self-acceptance by enforcing stricter regulations, like blocking deceiving weight loss ads, decreasing content that normalizes disordered eating habits, and promoting body positive messages (Kato-Wallace). Posting healthy body types along with real, unedited images can help people escape toxic beauty standards and form a thriving self-image. The Montecatini eating disorder treatment center mentions on their website “the organization acknowledged that retouched photos in the media create unrealistic expectations of beauty, especially for impressionable children and teenagers.” addressing photoshop as a problem (“The Impact of Retouched Photos”). Although professional treatment is vital for full recovery, generating a digital platform that highlights body positivity and values the importance of mental health can make a lasting change in both preventing eating disorders and supporting those on the path to healing. Managing eating disorders requires a change in curriculum covering nutrition, body image, media influence, and awareness. Schools tend to prioritize physical health, highlighting what students shouldn't eat, instead of teaching them what they should be eating (Doherty). Oftentimes they overlook how important it is to explain the difference between unhealthy diets, like those advocated by models on Tiktok, and more balanced, healthy options, such as the Mediterranean diet (Migala). With schooling like this, many students will unknowingly fall susceptible to those unhealthy trends promoted on TikTok. In addition to providing nutritional education, society would benefit from proper training regarding signs and symptoms, to recognize when a loved one might be suffering from an eating disorder. If parents and caregivers were able to identify the warning signs of an eating disorder early on, there would be quicker intervention and treatment. According to the Hope Eating Disorder Program, “when adolescents with anorexia nervosa are given family-based treatment within the first three years of the illness onset, they have a much greater likelihood of recovery” (Lock). Efforts like the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which encourages adolescents not to adapt to “anti-aging” treatments before they are even grown up, have shown the effectiveness of early intervention through education (“Dove Self-Esteem Project”). Some argue that eating disorders stem from deeper psychological factors, making education a limited solution. While it is true that no single approach can eliminate these disorders, providing students and parents with accurate information, along with spreading awareness on symptoms and signs can significantly reduce risk factors and inspire early intervention. There are many contributing factors to combating eating disorders, ensuring accessible mental health treatment is crucial. Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that need professional intervention (“Understanding and Treating Eating Disorders: Psychiatrists in California”). These disorders are rarely about food alone, they can arise from deeper psychological struggles such as anxiety or depression. Professional help addresses these underlying issues, rather than just the physical symptoms (“Why Professional Help Is Crucial When It Comes to Mental Health”). Therapy methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), allows patients to recognize and change harmful thought patterns about food and body image, leading to healthier coping strategies (“What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy”). “Numerous research studies suggest that CBT leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life” (“What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy”). As eating disorders can cause life-threatening complications, including malnutrition, heart problems, and organ failure, medical supervision is critical (Michel). Along with therapy and medical care, support groups provide emotional reinforcement which can eliminate feelings of isolation (“Eating Disorder Peer Support Groups: ANAD - National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders”). However, many people struggle to get the treatment they need due to financial challenges. Expanding insurance coverage for mental health care and increasing funding for eating disorder treatment programs could make professional support more available. Ultimately, making mental health treatment more accessible is a step we need to take in helping people with eating disorders live happier, healthier lives. Grasping and acknowledging eating disorders can be very complicated. If you take into consideration what an eating disorder is and what kinds there are, it might not be as complicated as you think. You now may also understand one way someone could fall into the trap of an eating disorder. Individuals with eating disorders just need to be understood. Becoming aware of eating disorders is something that could aid not only you, but someone in need. Studies indicate that by regulating media, improving education with heightened awareness, and ensuring accessible mental health, the apparent struggle of eating disorders can be reduced (Levine). All together, eating disorders are very serious and if you know that someone needs help, reach out.
Reflection Essay:
Researching and writing about eating disorders this semester has been one of the most informative experiences I've had in any class. Before researching, I perceived eating disorders as just a static, a mental health disorder, and a flaw in social media. I wrote about how damaging social media algorithms are, how schools lack proper nutrition education, and how difficult it is for people to access the treatment they need. But after I explored the epidemic through the eyes of Franz Kafka, an absurd fictionist, I learned that eating disorders go much deeper than what the numbers show; they are a symptom of a culture that has lost its humanity. Kafka’s stories weren't directly about eating disorders, but his characters often feel the same emotions people with these disorders go through. His characters deal with shame, alienation, and the overwhelming pressure to live up to society's unrealistic expectations. These feelings were a common theme in my research of disordered eating. In The Metamorphosis, for example, the main character wakes up as a bug and is rejected by the people who once cared about him. This reflects on how people with eating disorders feel: invisible, ignored or even belittled for not “fitting in”. It made me reflect on how society treats people who don't meet the impossible beauty standards. One thing this class has taught me is that writing is not just about proving a point, but is about understanding a problem from multiple angles. When writing my essay about Kafka, it helped me see that eating disorders are not just medical issues, but emotional ones too. People struggling with an eating disorder are often misunderstood. One example that reminds me of this reality is in his story, A Hunger Artist, when the main character staves himself in front of a crowd of people who do not understand his pain. Some even say their disorder is a way to feel in control when everything else feels out of control. Kafka captured that feeling long before society started talking about it. This class also helped me grow my confidence in my voice as a writer. Before I felt like I had to choose between being emotional or academic, but now I realize I can do both. I learned how to use research to back up my ideas without losing the message I wanted to share. Writing these essays also helped me think more critically about the media I consume and the silent pressures people face everyday. Most importantly, I've learned empathy can be just as powerful as evidence. Whether I'm writing about social media, education, or Kafka’s fiction, I've learned to look beneath the surface and ask: “What does this really say about the way we treat each other?” That is something I will carry with me beyond this class. In the end, Kafka’s strange and unsettling stories helped me understand a real-world issue in a new way. This class has given me the tools to express that understanding clearly and meaningfully.
Eating Disorders: Through The Lens of an Absurd Fictionist
Eating disorders, characterized by distorted relationships with food and body image, are symptomatic of a society striving for unattainable beauty standards (Marengo and Petre). Franz Kafka, an absurd fictionist, mentions topics of control, alienation, and societal absurdity in a way that essentially mirrors the real life experiences of those suffering from eating disorders (Admin). Kafka’s philosophy was rooted in existential dread and the absurdity of human systems (James). Kafka would've believed that eating disorders are more than an illness, instead he might have viewed them as tragic outcomes of a dehumanizing and image-obsessed culture. Considering Kafka’s beliefs, he may perceive the rise of eating disorders as society’s failure to recognize individual worth beyond external appearance. Kafka’s works often portray protagonists who experience extreme isolation, a symptom highlighted in those who are battling eating disorders. In his novella, “The Metamorphosis”, Gregor Samsa, the main character, wakes up to find that he has been turned into a bug (Kafka). This is a gross metaphor for how people are treated when they no longer meet societal expectations. Similarly, those with eating disorders often feel like outsiders in a world that prioritizes body image over health and identity. Scholar Nika Straus says, “He would have used the example of Gregor to show how someone becomes non-human in the eyes of others when they don't “fit in” anymore,” (Straus). An eating disorder is not just a medical diagnosis; it is a reflection of a culture that alienates people from their bodies and selves. The pressure to maintain perfection divides people from their own hunger and physical needs, just as Kafka's characters tend to be disconnected from their needs in order to fulfill absurd social roles (Bassett). Kafka’s philosophy argues that social norms are both arbitrary and harmful (Purgett). In his novel, “The Trial”, the protagonist, Josef K. is arrested and prosecuted without ever being told of his crime (Halley). This is an emblem of how systems that cannot be understood nor controlled are destroying us as individuals. Building on this, people, especially women, are judged by silent and unspoken beauty standards. Chloe Brown explains in her essay, “Algorithms only make things worse, repeatedly pushing content that reinforces unrealistic body standards” (Harris). Kafka would likely view this as people being judged not by their worth, but how well they meet absurd criteria dictated by a faceless system. In Kafka’s world, logic fails, systems take over, and justice is impossible (Nasir). The system reinforcing today's beauty standards operates comparably to Kafka’s world; standards built by filters, photoshop, and social media trends. Individuals are punished with shame, insecurities, and guilt when they fail to meet these absurd norms, justice is impossible. In Kafka’s work control is central, often shown as both oppressive and internalized. Control as a theme often resonates with eating disorders, control over food may become a victims substitute for control over life. In Kafka’s short story, “A Hunger Artist” the protagonist starves himself in a cage while people come to watch, turning his suffering into an artistic expression (Kafka, Johnston). The protagonist remains unnamed but says “Try to explain the art of fasting to anyone! If someone doesn’t feel it, then he cannot be made to understand it.” meaning that people never understood his suffering or purpose (Kafka and Johnston). This character is hauntingly similar to those battling anorexia, who commonly describe a need to feel “in control” even when it causes harm (Disordered Eating: Psychological Health & Stress Reduction: Health Answers: Student Health Center: Indiana University Bloomington.). As noted in Chloe Brown’s essay, “These disorders are rarely about food alone, they can arise from deeper psychological struggles such as anxiety or depression”. Kafka’s “Hunger Artist” describes a world where suffering is glorified, misunderstood, or ignored; in parallel to how society romanticizes “thinness” without addressing the misery beneath it. In Kafka’s world, help is more of an illusion than a reality. Support systems like families and courts are indifferent or hostile (Houassi). This resembles the lack of access to mental health care mentioned in Chloe’s essay: “many people struggle to get the treatment they need due to financial challenges.” Kafka would argue that even the establishments set up to help those suffering with an eating disorder are often “Kafkaesque,” a term used to describe Kafka’s fictional world meaning “oppressive” or “nightmarish” (KAFKAESQUE Definition & Meaning). Kafka’s own life supports this reading as he often felt unheard by doctors and ignored by society . In his letter to his father, he describes feelings of body shame and inadequacy, mirroring symptoms exhibited by those enduring disordered eating (Iulian). His personal suffering makes it likely he would empathize with those struggling today. Franz Kafka, an author who spent his life writing about the absurdity of modern life, questioning authority, and struggling with shame, would likely perceive the rise of eating disorders as a sad reflection of a society that has lost its humanity. His works reveal the danger of judging individuals based on how well they can conform to unfair and toxic rules, much like today's society evaluates people by how closely they resemble “perfection” in body shape and appearance. Interpreting Kafka’s absurdist philosophy suggests eating disorders are not merely a health condition, but rather the inevitable result of a world where self-worth is measured by inhuman standards. A true “Kafkaesque” reality: silent, tragic, and unseen.
“The first step to change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”
Eating Disorder Awareness