In the hit televison show “Glee” (2009), character Marley Rose suffers from bulimia. Emma Nelson, a character in the show “Degrassi: the Next Generation” (2001), is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Eating disorders, once a taboo subject, have recently received ample attention in the media. Rather than attempting to hide it, people suffering from eating disorders are now encouraged to seek treatment and help.
Despite the strides made in the realm of eating disorder awareness, there remains a glaring problem with how movies and television portray victims. They are almost exclusively white, middle or upper class women. As a result, eating disorders are perceived as afflicting only white women. But, this could not be further from the truth. Eating disorders are just as prevalent and problematic in other racial groups, despite being hidden from public attention.
Asian-American women, in particular, are at risk. According to Hue-Sun Ahn, a psychologist and outreach coordinator at Princeton University, women can feel compelled to fit the “geisha stereotype.” In keeping with convention, Asian-American women are supposed to be delicate, small, submissive and, most importantly, thin. Furthermore, the centrality of shame in many Asian cultures exacerbates the severity of eating disorders. Teenagers often feel ashamed to talk about problems they may be having for fear of being judged or criticized. As a result, many who suffer from low self-esteem suppress their emotions.
In Asian cultures, food is central to the family dynamic. Eating has come to symbolize love. Parents spend hours in the kitchen carefully crafting elaborate dinners for the families, and family members show their love by eating together and sharing meals. It is considered “rude” for children to turn down food that their elders cooked for them. I distinctly remember my grandparents scooping heaps of food onto my plate when I was a child. They were not satisfied until I had finished every last bite. To them, cooking for and feeding me was just another way of demonstrating affection.
However, a culture centered on food becomes problematic when paired with the brutal honesty of many Asian parents. When I visit my relatives in China, they are quick to point out the weight I have put on. My female Asian-American friends can easily remember all the times that their grandparents (perhaps affectionately) called them “fat” or “chubby.” Although I don’t take my family’s comments to heart, many girls are seriously affected by such criticism. Paradoxically, Asian-American girls are expected to parttake in family meals and eat heartily, but also feel pressure to stay thin. As a result, many Asian-American youth suffer great emotional distress.
To complicate their situation further, Asian culture completely ignores non-physical disorders. As mental illnesses, eating disorders tend to fester in such an environment. Problematically, many in the Asian-American community do not view them as legitimate diseases. Beyond the realm of eating disorders, many Asians and Asian-Americans suffer from other mental illnesses. However, they do not seek professional help because of the social and cultural stigmas against doing so. According to a 2005 study, Asian-American college students are more likely than their white counterparts to have suicidal thoughts. Such troubling statistics should remind us of the need to address mental health issues within the Asian-American community.
In recent years, prominent Asian-Americans have brought attention to the prevalence of eating disorders in their communities. The website “Thick Dumpling Skin,” started by Lynn Chen and Lisa Lee, provides a space for all Asian-Americans to discuss body image and their relationship with food. The website offers both poignant personal stories and scientific articles that shed light on an oft ignored subject.
Unless we start talking about eating disorders within our community, nothing is going to change. It is of utmost importance that eating disorders become a central focus of Asian communities both in the United States and abroad. Raising awareness is the first step to addressing and eradicating this deeply embedded societal problem.
