ABSTRACT
We are complex and awesome beings. Born into a culture that prizes image over substance, it is easy to see why many of us look to the physical body when trying to effect change or exert control in our lives. In this pursuit some of us fall harder than others. Carolyn Costin uses the term “cultural canaries in the coal mine” to describe individuals who, in pursuit of cultural ideals, develop eating disorders. For genetic, psychological and/or other reasons, these individuals are often the most sensitive to our culture’s obsession with appearance and its focus on external qualities.
