This week, I had a tutorial with Zuleika. In this tutorial, I figure out my further plan for the project. First, I describe the two interventions and references I’ve read since the independent study period started, which are <EAT FAT> and <The Eating Disorder Sourcebook>. Also, I mentioned I’m reading <The Art Therapies>.
Zuleika asked me: “What’s your question?” I type, ” How to design an art therapy for the Chinese eating disorders group from 16-30?” I choose this age group because, at this age, people can start to realise they got an eating disorder. Also, in China, several people up to 40 probably don’t know what eating disorders are. It comes from my experience and early interviews with the eating disorders group. Zuleika suggested I need more references to support this theory. And it seems I am more interested in “Why Chinese people got eating disorders” than “Art therapy of eating disorders.” I will figure it out.
Could you write down the project question 20 times?
- How to create art therapies for Chinese eating disorder groups from 16-30?
- How about the Chinese eating disorders group from 16-30?
- Why do Chinese people have eating disorders?
- What’s different between Chinese and Western eating disorders?
- Does the traditional Chinese family culture cause Chinese eating disorders?
- Does the beautification standards affect Chinese eating disorders?
- Does the beautification standards affect Chinese female eating disorders?
- Why Chinese female have eating disorders?
- The female beautification practices are part of eating disorders or eating disorders are part of female beautification practices?
- Which forms of family relationships are more likely to cause eating disorders?
- Does traditional Chinese family authority create eating disorders?
- What is the social significance of food anyway?
- Does Paternity produce female beautification practices?
- Why food has so many meaning?
- Why can food represent human emotions?
- What’s the healing power of food?
- …
Zuleika recommends the term “Fatphobia” and the book “The Body is Not An Apology” by Sonya Renee Taylor.
The “Fatphobid” means:
The social stigma of obesity is broadly defined as bias or discriminatory behaviours targeted at overweight and obese individuals because of their weight and high body fat percentage. Such social stigmas can span one's entire life, as long as excess weight is present, starting from a young age and lasting into adulthood. Studies also indicate overweight and obese individuals experience higher levels of stigma than others. In addition, they marry less often, experience fewer educational and career opportunities, and earn less than normal-weight individuals on average. Although public support regarding disability services, civil rights, and anti-workplace discrimination laws for obese individuals have gained support over the years, overweight and obese individuals still experience discrimination, which may have detrimental implications for physiological and psychological health. These issues are compounded by the significant negative physiological effects already associated with obesity, which some have proposed may be caused by stress from the social stigma of obesity rather than from obesity per se. Anti-fat bias refers to prejudicial assumptions based on assessing a person as being overweight or obese. It is also known as "fat shaming" or "fatphobia". Anti-fat bias can be found in many facets of society, and fat activists commonly blame mass media and popular culture for the pervasiveness of this phenomenon.
Also, I created a questionnaire-“A survey on understanding of eating disorders by Chinese contemporary social groups“. In this questionnaire, I set up a split survey, targeting the eating disorder group in China and the people around them so that I can better understand the current situation.
The questionnaire received 96 simple. Most participants were from the Southeast Coast in China. 50% were aware of eating disorders, 7% had suffered from or were experiencing an eating disorder, and 15.62% were unsure if they had an eating disorder. In the eating disorder group questionnaire, with a sample of 22, 59% were unwilling to tell others that they had an eating disorder, but 64% were ready to receive professional treatment.
In contrast, in the questionnaire for the non-eating disorder group, 79.73% did not know if a family member or friend had an eating disorder, and 13.51% were unsure if a family member or friend had an eating disorder. However, they would support their family members or friends to have professional psychotherapy and listen to them. This questionnaire demonstrates the potential for eating disorders to become more widespread in China.
Facing the Eating disorder group.
Facing the people around the Eating disorder group.
The questionnaire shows that eating disorders are a social phenomenon in Chinese society. After thought, I found out my most interesting point is people’s knowledge and attitudes around the eating disorder group rather than eating disorders themselves. According to data, most people have a vague idea of this mental state but can’t fully understand it. The Chinese term “eating disorder” is a direct translation of the English term, an academic term of Western medical origin that is unfamiliar and does not bring emotional or cultural relevance to the Chinese people. At the same time, In my previous research, I was too obsessed with studying eating disorders, which also filled my psyche with pain and anguish. Therefore, after receiving the results of this survey, I wanted to learn more about people’s attitudes towards food. When people can’t understand why people with eating disorders make eating painful, I was more interested in understanding the multiplicity of emotions behind food.