• Question: Do you think BDD is more prevalent in Western countries (with media constantly pressuring celebrities and Photoshop) or more in Asian cultures (given the family views and traditions)

    Asked by luke to Jack, Gem, Jermaine, Michelle, Steve on 16 Jun 2017.
    • Photo: Steven Brown

      Steven Brown answered on 16 Jun 2017:

      Phenomenal question, and I hope someone will be able to help provide a satisfying answer. I have no idea. Just assumptions. But why have assumptions when you can have facts? Someone will have researched this.

      What I do know is that men are now facing lots of body image issues – it was previously thought of as just girls, traditionally represented in media with unrealistic ideal body shapes. It happens to men too now.

    • Photo: Michelle Jamieson

      Michelle Jamieson answered on 18 Jun 2017:

      I haven’t been involved in this area of research, but what little I’ve read it seems to be evenly spread across cultures, just expressed differently according to background (e.g. because of family traditions, celeb culture ect).

    • Photo: Jermaine Ravalier

      Jermaine Ravalier answered on 19 Jun 2017:

      Not my area of research but I do think it’s REALLY interesting – we don’t even know if photoshop etc actually contirbutes directly to eating disorders / BDD, so I guess a really difficult question. Plus I think in truly pre-developed areas they would have much more pressing issues, so actually I would assume it’s a lot lower in those societies.

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