IndexIntroductionEating DisordersSocial Learning TheoryConclusionIntroductionEating disorders afflict millions of Americans and are serious, even life-threatening. They are classified as psychiatric disorders and actually have little to do with food, but rather with self-esteem issues and other emotional states. They constitute a serious health problem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay This article explores eating disorders, social learning theory, and how we might use the theory to help sufferers develop a more positive body image. Eating Disorders Eating disorders are more common in adolescents; they are found 10 times more often in girls than in boys; and although they are found in all ethnic groups, they are most common among whites living in industrialized nations. The most common forms of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and unspecified eating disorders. Anorexia manifests itself in two forms: restrictive type and binge/purge type. Bulimia two comes in two forms: purging and non-purging. (Pritts, PG). These are very serious conditions: the risk of young women developing anorexia is between 0.5 and 1%, but among those who develop the condition, death results in approximately 4-10% of sufferers. (Pritts, PG). This is a considerable number of young women who die because they despise their appearance. Statistics reveal how widespread weight concerns are among young people: “In 1999, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey reported that 58 percent of students in the United States had exercised to lose weight. weight and 40% of students had limited their calorie intake in an attempt to lose weight. The distinction between normal diet and disordered eating is based on whether or not the patient has a distorted body image.” (Pritts, PG). The last three words of that phrase, “distorted body image,” give us a clue to one of the key concerns of those who treat this disease: that sufferers are overly concerned with their appearance, which they see as undesirable, even grotesque or obese, even when their weight is within normal limits, or even too low. We can examine the influences on our young people that make them susceptible to these beliefs, and we can also see how social learning theory could be both a partial cause, and a potential cure, of eating disorders. Social Learning Theory Social learning theory is often called “modeling theory” and is probably most closely connected with Albert Bandura. Bandura is a highly respected scientist who began his career as a behaviorist, but modified his approach so that he is generally considered a cognitivist. (Boeree, PG). As such, it believes that behavior, environment, and psychological processes come together to form personality. It is his behavioral experiment, known as the “Bobo the Clown” study, that interests us here, because it demonstrates how powerful modeling is. The “Bobo” experiment is as follows: Bobo was/is one of those large inflatable dolls with a round, weighted bottom that stands up when you knock it down. Bandura filmed one of his students, a young woman, "beating" Bobo. He punched the doll, yelling "sockeroo" as he did so; he kicked him, hit him with hammers, sat on him, and generally beat him to death, screaming aggressively as he did so. Bandura showedthe film to a kindergarten class, who, predictably, loved it. The children were then taken to another room where there were various toys, including the Bobo doll. They attacked the doll, punching it and yelling “sockeroo,” sitting on it, hitting it with hammers, and so on. They imitated the actions of Bandura's student as closely as possible. (Boeree, PG). The significance of this is that the students were not pushed in any way, nor “coached,” nor did they approach the doll with guided “steps”; meaning they were not encouraged to treat something with mild aggression, then become progressively more violent until they attack the doll. They beat Bobo without further prompting, with the film as the only instigation to their actions. This surprising result illustrates the power that images have on children; it is fair to conclude that images also have power over adolescents. Even mature adults sometimes “model” their behavior on something they have seen. It is therefore important to see what kind of body images adolescents see and how these images can lead them to form a poor self-image. It shouldn't surprise anyone that television and movies have a huge impact on how teenagers see themselves. ; literally hundreds of studies have been conducted on the media's influence on society. We now know that young women often feel they should look like the actors they see on screen; they don't understand that those actors spend a great deal of time and money on their appearance, so much so that maintaining it is actually a full-time job for them. Their faces and bodies are their ticket to employment, and so they spend hours at the gym, at the hairdressers, at the nutritionists, etc. Only these extreme measures allow them to maintain their appearance, and these things are beyond the capabilities of average people. . Additionally, the body types maintained by many stars meet the clinical definition of anorexia: they are below a healthy body weight. Yet, these ultra-thin, ultra-chic women have become the desirable standard in American society, and young women are literally dying to look like them. Teenagers are particularly sensitive to this type of pressure. Their bodies are just developing and they are trying to form their identity. They may be confused about their sexuality and peer pressure is intense. The less attractive girls (whatever “attractive” means at the time) find themselves on the sidelines while guys chase the more attractive girls for dates; they are not even popular among their own sex. Cliques form and overweight teenagers are usually excluded. It's a very difficult time in life, and it's easy to see why so many kids retreat into fantasy and try to be like their on-screen idols. This is the same kind of modeling we saw in Bandura's Bobo experiments: teenagers see something on the screen that they find desirable and try to emulate it, doing so uncritically and without further prompting. We should now consider how we might use modeling to replace these unattainable body types with more desirable outcomes. One source has some tips for parents who want to help their children overcome the trap of following inappropriate role models. First, they should be aware that eating disorders are widespread and pose a real danger to their children. Secondly, parents should understand that eating disorders are not about food, but about something else. They have to find out the real problem. Third, discourage dieting; can lead to “feeding:.