Usually, it seems that only young girls are most blatantly affected by the media in the United States. This is perpetuated by a fixation with youth and beauty. However, all age groups are affected by these visual projections, including women and men. Awareness of body image and what is considered beautiful has been shaped through the ages. Culture is important as to what that image appears to be and what is sought after. As an illustration, study the foot binding that once occurred throughout China. “Walking on bound feet required bending the knees slightly and rocking to maintain proper movement and balance, a delicate walk that was also considered erotic for men.” (Janell Carroll) In Western culture, the idea that this practice is considered a beautiful erotic body modification for men is relatively bizarre. Seeing these women often unable to walk shows that people are willing to make heavy sacrifices to appeal to the customs of society. Another example is the neck rings worn in Thailand. The custom of wearing neck rings is linked to an ideal of beauty: an elongated neck. (Andrew Harding) Once again, this may give Americans the impression that these civilizations are backward and the product of self-centeredness. Self-centeredness is when a person's original culture appears to be correct and the beliefs of others are incorrect. Rather, it is deemed desirable by a culture and spreads there. One could argue that the recognition of beauty or “good genes” is simply biological. In fact, it is biological, but culture also plays an important role in the perception of it. As humans, one way we learn is through observational learning. That is, seeing others act in a certain way and repeating their actions. What... middle of paper ...... remains under the radar is eating disorders in men. I believe these conditions are a social and cultural creation. In fact, 1 in 10 cases of these disorders affect men. www.anad.org The majority of men with eating disorders belong to the LBGT community. Among men with eating disorders, about 42% identify as gay or bisexual. This proves my point that it stems from what the media portrays and socially promotes. Media affects all of us, not just a specific group. In order to change their habits, we need to make it known that we have a problem with this. Otherwise, as long as the money keeps flowing in, it will stay the same. Men are too often excluded from this conversation, and we must realize that it harms them too. I am in no way trying to make the system perfect, but simply pointing out that it needs to be more realistic..