Question

The rates of eating disorders among African-American women are rising two levels approaching the rates for non-Hispanic white Americans. This is most likely due to:

a) Genetic factors
b) Cultural factors
c) Biological factors
d) Socioeconomic factors

Answer 1

The rising rates of eating disorders among African-American women are likely due to cultural factors, including the idealization of thinness and media influence, although genetic and biological factors also play a role. Therefore, The correct option is b) Cultural factors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The rise in rates of eating disorders among African-American women may be attributed to various factors. Considering that cultural factors include the cultural idealization of thinness and the influence of popular media and the fashion industry, which often portray a thin ideal, these are significant contributors to the development of eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Although there is evidence that genetic factors and biological factors such as the deregulation of neurotransmitters and hormones can predispose individuals to eating disorders, the social and cultural aspects are often more externally visible and influential when it comes to shifts in population-wide health trends such as an increase in eating disorder rates among specific demographic groups.