Member-only story
You Can’t Hate Yourself Into Loving Yourself
The Nadroga region of the Fiji Islands is a sparsely populated rural area deeply rooted in communal living and close-knit social ties. This sense of community is often expressed through large, shared feasts that are central to Fijian culture. Eating customs in Fiji celebrate hearty appetites and robust body shapes, which are viewed as symbols of attractiveness, hard work, and the ability to care for others. To be seen as well-fed is considered a blessing, a sign of abundance and vitality. Given these cultural values, it’s no surprise that prior to 1998, there wasn’t a single reported case of an eating disorder on the islands.
And then something changed. The health researcher Anne Becker noted a distinct rise in eating pathology. The schoolgirls of Nadroga were suddenly struggling with purging behaviours, such as vomiting, disordered eating (as evident in binges) and a rise in body image issues. As Becker interviewed these girls, she noted constant social comparison, self-esteem issues and the desire to be thin. So what happened?
In 1995, television was introduced to the Fiji islands and with it came Western media. As Becker interviewed more of these girls she came to realize…
