Main description:

Eating disorders remain little understood by the public, and sensationalist stories in the media have done little to dispel simplistic and reductionist perspectives. This edited volume uses a range of language-centred approaches to provide much needed critical in-depth analysis and interdisciplinary synthesis.

The book brings together researchers from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds - including communication and information studies, journalism, linguistics, mental health, nursing, psychology and public health - in a collective endeavour to explore the complex relationship between eating disorders, public discourse and lived experiences. Topics tackled include the use of stigmatising narrative frames, stereotypes and metaphors; identity construction in online spaces; the ways in which individuals affected by eating disorders interpret media representations; and how parents write about their experiences of caring for children with eating disorders. The volume synthesises evidence from a range of data types, including UK and international newspapers, social media, online communities, blogs and forums, apps and in-depth interviews, and reflects a variety of cultural perspectives, including those held in the United States, the UK, Spain and Turkey. It will be of interest to academics, practitioners, students, mental health advocates, and anyone interested in how we make sense of eating disorders.

Contents:

Contributors

Introduction Laura A. Cariola

Part I Traditional Media and Public Discourse

Chapter 1. Eating Disorder Metaphors in the American and Spanish Press Carolina Figueras Bates

Chapter 2. Animal Metaphors in Women's Magazines: Their Potential Link with Eating Disorders Irene Lopez-Rodriguez

Chapter 3. Challenging the Stigma of a 'Woman's Illness' and 'Feminine Problem': A Cross-Cultural Analysis of News Stories About Eating Disorders and Men Scott Parrott, Kimberly Bissell, Nicholas Eckhart and Bumsoo Park

Chapter 4. Representations of Anorexia Nervosa in National Media: A Frame Analysis of the UK Press Matt Bowen and Rhian Waller

Chapter 5. Representations of Eating Disorders in Turkish News Media Hayriye Gulec

Chapter 6. Experiencing Newspaper Representations of Eating Disorders: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Laura A. Cariola and Billy Lee

Chapter 7. Narrative Experiences of Social Media and the Internet from Men with Eating Disorders Gareth Lyons, Sue McAndrew and Tony Warne

Part II Participatory Media and User-Generated Discourse

Chapter 8. Online Negative Enabling Support Group (ONESG) Theory: Understanding Online Extreme Community Communication Promoting Negative Health Behaviours Stephen M. Haas, Nancy A. Jennings and Pamara F. Chang

Chapter 9. Eating Disorder Discourse in a Diet and Fitness App Community: Understanding User Needs Through Exploratory Mixed Methods Elizabeth V. Eikey, Oliver Golden, Zhuoxi Chen and Qiuer Chen

Chapter 10. Using Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Approaches to Investigate Online Communication About Eating Disorders: A Reflective Account Dawn Branley-Bell

Chapter 11. 'I'll Never Be Skinny Enough': A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Pro-Anorexia Discourse Allyn Lueders

Chapter 12. Lived Experiences of Parents Raising Children with Eating Disorders: A Thematic Analysis Emma O'Rourke and Laura A. Cariola

Chapter 13. 'Anorexia is Seen as a GOOD Thing When You're Fat!': Constructing 'Eating Disorders' in Fat Acceptance Blogs Wendy Solomons, Kate Davenport and Joanne McDowell

Discussion

Index