Ellen Goodman

Syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman contends in the following viewpoint that the media are partly to blame for the incidence of eating disorders. In her view, the fact that eating disorders more than doubled in the remote South Pacific island of Fiji after Hollywood-produced television shows were introduced there proves that Western media images promote eating disorders. Goodman argues that these images, which define thinness as the cultural ideal, cause women to feel insecure about their bodies.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Goodman, what are the traditional attitudes about weight gain among Fijians"

2. What evidence does the author provide that Western television contributed to the increase of eating disorders in Fiji"

3. What is the “big success story” of Western entertainment, as stated by the author"

First of all, imagine...