Anorexia
and bulimia are two serious types of eating disorders that affect female college
students. From genetic theories to media studies, researchers analyze various
areas that influence women and their eating habits. According to researchers,
eating disorders occur in one of every 100 women and up to two-thirds of women
are dissatisfied with their overall body and appearance. Both Hollywood celebrities
and fashion advertising are areas of research associated with eating disorders.
Today's society is partly responsible for the "thinness popularity" and advertisements
help to publicize these ideal body images. Through television and print media,
advertising the "ideal" body image has harmful effects on young women. From a
pre-teen girl to a college woman, this topic is of interest for women of all ages
and color. Women place a strong emphasis on body weight and appearance; therefore,
educating women about eating disorders and influences should capture a target
audience. Readers of popular teen culture magazines and MTV viewers are examples
of a target audience.
Non-Internet Sources:
Mary Bray Pipher, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the selves of adolescent girls, (New York: Putnam, 1994), 58. HQ789.P57
Richard Allan Gordon, Eating Disorders: Anatomy of a social epidemic, 2nd ed., (Malden, Mass: Blackwell Publishers, 2000), 281. RC552.E18.
University of Arizona College of Medicine, produced by Biomedical Communications, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Anorexia Nervosa, Dean's clinical rounds series, 90 min., (Tucson: The University, 1980). WM 175 VC2.
Chard, Philip. (2001, March 13). Eating Disorders Grow with Our Culture. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [Online], 592 words. Available: LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe [2001, March 13].
McClelland, Susan. (2000, August 14). Distorted Images. Maclean's [Online], 1366 words. Available: LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe [2000, August 18].
Web Sources
Disordered Beauty: Anorexia http://www.beautyworlds.com/anorexia.htm The page follows the history of anorexia and obesity in western culture. The site is useful for finding multiple links to related topics. The site also lists several works that are helpful for gathering research on anorexia and society's influence. Cannot find source.
Body Image and the Media http://www.region.peel.on.ca/health/commhlth/bodyimg/media.htm History of the shape of women's bodies and intentions of advertisements. Source: Region of Peel.
Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women http://www.jeankilbourne.com/video.html The page deals with the obsession with body image and advertising's influence. Shots of models for Vogue, Cosmopolitan, etc. The video is a great source for research.
Medical Education Foundation Health information for you http://www.MamasHealth.com (link to anorexia and bulimia) Medical definitions and terms, Updated daily Cannot find source
Eating Disorders Resources http://www.gurze.com Complete coverage of eating disorders, links to other sites, online books, professional journals. Gurze books
Mini-Essay on Net People and Places
Bloomfield Busts Student's Internet Behavior
Professor Louis A. Bloomfield created a simple computer program that set off a cheating investigation at the University of Virginia in April. The University, famous for its strict honor code, could expel up to 122 students for plagiarism. Students in Bloomfield's introductory physics class were required to hand in a 1,500-word paper via email. In a class that holds up to 500 students a semester, Bloomfield would have had a tough time detecting plagiarism without the computer program. (1) After a helpful hint from a student, Bloomfield designed a software program to search for common phrases and six-word matches in his electronic database. After 50 hours of scanning more than 1,800 papers from the past five semesters, the database found at least 60 matches. (1) In some cases, "virtually the entire paper is the same." (2) Bloomfield and associates suspect that students cut and pasted former classmates' papers. "Technology has made some of the easy way outs very seductive and blurred the lines between what's acceptable and what's not," said Bloomfield. (2) Just as the Internet makes cheating on papers easier and more accessible, technology also provides means to track plagiarism. Each student under investigation will be tried individually. Some students under investigation have graduated from the university and could have their degrees revoked. As a result of Bloomfield's discovery, several campuses will follow his footsteps and attempt to bust Internet plagiarism. Creighton University and the University of Colorado are two schools that plan to participate. (3) David Gies, head of the Spanish department at UVA, said, the case "will send a wake-up call to those students who have forgotten what the community of trust is about." (2)
Notes:
(1) Schemo, Diana Jean. (2001, May 9). U. Of Virginia Hit by Scandal Over Cheating. The New York Times [Online], p. 1A. Available: http://www.bebeyond.com/LearnEnglish/DailyReadings/Opinions/ScandalCheating.htm [2001, May 10].
(2) Argetsinger, Amy. (2001, May 8). Technology Snares Cheaters at U-Va. The Washington Post [Online], p. 1A. Available: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A638-2001May8.html [2001, May 9].
(3) Poppen, Julie. (2001, May 24). Internet Plagiarism Subject of New Study. Rocky Mountain News [Online], p.28A. Available: http://plagiarism.phys.virginia.edu
Three Web sites:
Internet
Plagiarism Subject of New Study http://plagiarism.phys.virginia.edu
Bloomfield's
influence on other schools
Rocky Mountain
News
U. Of Virginia
Hit by Scandal Over Cheating
http://www.bebeyond.com/LearnEnglish/DailyReadings/Opinions/ScandalCheating.htm
Honor code and committee and computer program details
The New York Times
Technology Snares
Cheaters at U-Va
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A638-2001May8.html
Popularity
of Internet plagiarism and UVA scandal The Washington Post
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