Beyond Slim

During September’s Fashion Week, the media buzzed over a proposed ban on London’s ‘ultra thin models’. Calls for the ban came from organisers who felt the catwalk promoted an unreasonable archetype for young girls.

Today’s media adheres to a slim look: newspapers, magazines and television programmes bombard us with ways to shed unwanted pounds. While most people read up on the latest diets to improve their looks or physical health, others have dietary goals that go well beyond health or body maintenance: diets can be tormenting or life threatening experiences.

But does the media really play a large role in the development of eating disorders? While critics continue to point fingers at the press, people living with eating disorders do not site them as major contributors. Instead, sufferers describe feelings of low self esteem, emotionally traumatic experiences, or wanting to have more control.

So what factors contribute to the development of Anorexia, Bulimia and other eating disorders? Is it social, biological or both? How is an eating disorder triggered and who is more likely to have one? What effect does it have on our brains, our bodies and our relationships? Join experts at the Dana Centre who will to reveal the facts about eating disorders: what they are, what they do, what they feel like, and how they’re treated.

Event organised by:
The European Dana Alliance for the Brain and the Institute of Psychiatry

Speakers

Anne Cooke, personal account
Emma Healey, Eating Disorders Association
Ulrike Schmidt, Institute of Psychiatry

Chair:
Iain Campbell, Institute of Psychiatry