Eating Disordrs

by Lauri S. Friedman

Explores differing views on eating disorders and uses the opposing viewpoints format to increase proficiency in writing critical essays, with emphasis on organizing ideas and arguments in the five-paragraph essay.

Hardcover

First published December 12, 2006

About the author

Lauri S. Friedman is the founder of LSF Editorial, a writing, editing, ghostwriting, and series packaging outfit that produces non-fiction writing projects.

Reviews

[Sarah Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my second semester Jag Indy Reads #1, I read the book Eating Disorders by Lauri S Friedman. This nonfiction, informational text focused on what eating disorders are, among which age groups they are most commonly found, reasons and symptoms for their development, eating disorders among models, and what triggers the development of individual eating disorders. This book was of enormous help to me in gaining knowledge for my Capstone Project because it captured multiple viewpoints for every topic of eating disorders — far too often is there bias in the discussion of these complicated diseases, so obtaining knowledge from every possible viewpoint is of utmost importance to my research. This book gave exactly that. It is because of reading this novel that I feel securely and wholly educated on multiple professional stances in regards to the entire spectrum of opinions of specialists from across the board. Examples include opinions from world-famous model Natalia Vodianova in comparison to those of journalist Janine K. van Nostrand from Lehigh University or Alison Field, lead author of a Harvard Study of body image among teens and adults. With that broad range of opinions came chapters full of information regarding the media’s influence in the development of eating disorders, exactly what I needed for my Capstone Project research. This novel broadened my thought process in regards to exactly what forms of media have influence in the development of these diseases — beforehand, I was focusing on magazines and articles; this book brought to my attention the influence that online pro-ana/pro-mia Websites also have in the lives of teens struggling with body image. Immediately after that revelation, I began taking notes on the power that these online support sites possess. To my surprise, experts say that pro-ed sites are actually “deadly, particularly because they rationalize and affirm the very behavior that defines these diseases” (76). The novel then discussed finding a “solution to this ongoing problem,” discussing how “the media needs to focus on an honest and real concept of beauty that is based on diversity of shape” (43) — exactly what I was hoping to discuss through my Capstone project. This novel truly aided me in gaining more knowledge on my Senior Capstone Project Research topic as it broadened my horizons and offered whole, trustworthy insights that I know have furthered my personal learning.