Identifying the Impact of Globalization of Western Fashion Media on Eating Disorders in Japan

Public project summary

In today’s society, harmful beauty standards are everywhere, portrayed most significantly in the media and in stores. There is very little size representation in the fashion industry in the United States. The idea that smaller sizes are more desirable reaches young women and girls around the country and causes them to adopt toxic body image mentalities, leading to potential eating disorders. If this wasn't bad enough, bringing in another variable, globalization, can prove to be even more harmful, as the effects of beauty standards are seen all over the world, including Japan. This research paper analyzes the extent to which the American fashion industry exported toxic body image to Japan, inducing eating disorders. The extent to which there is a direct connection can be discovered through correlational research and analyzing the other factors that cause eating disorders in Japan.