A World Riddled By Social Expectations And Beauty Ideals

Introduction: Biology and culture are intertwined forces that affect all populations from a global perspective. This fact brings up an interesting question regarding the origins of pathology. While there are a miscellany of somatic illnesses explained by biological means, mental illnesses seem to have more of an environmental aspect to their origins, but there is controversy surrounding this detail. Even when knowing the biological etiology of mental disorders, the culture and environment is still important in regards to the presentation as well as the commonality of these illnesses. In a world riddled by social expectations and beauty ideals, anorexia nervosa (AN) is a prime example of how culture must be examined in conjunction with†¦show more content†¦Such effects can be exacerbated by neuroendocrine regulation issues in the neurotransmitters leptin, ghrelin, and orexin that play a role in metabolism, satiety, and hunger levels respectively. The neurochemical framework with this disorder can often lead to an addictive, chemical gratification that food cannot provide. (Keating, 2012). While anorexic behaviors can be duly explained by the biological aspects of the disorder, it is imperative to understand the origins of these biochemical inconsistencies and how culture can be so finely braided into the biochemistry. Cultural Stance: To explore cultural implications in understanding anorexia nervosa, one should evaluate several different cultures and make conclusions based on how certain lifestyles influence the pathology. Body image and beauty ideals are a large focus in societies that have large media followings. In this exploration of societies, American, Chinese, and Arabian cultures will be assessed for their culture and influence in the presentation of AN. America: Anorexia is often identified as a disorder that affects solely Western countries such as the United States, based on the lack of perceived prevalence in Eastern countries. As such, Am erica was the country to define what anorexia entails based on observations and experiences with the disorder from an American psychologist s perspective. This could lead to less objective