Building “perfect” bodies. Cultural implications of the cult of the body and feeding megarexia

Main Article Content

Javier Eloy Martínez Guirao

Abstract

The cult of the body phenomena is ever more present in contemporary complex societies; feeding habits and physical exercise have become the two main paths for pursuing hegemonic guiding principles for the body. This article leads off with the concept of the body as a symbolic reality, a place where society and culture manifest themselves, as well as feeding habits as a social fact. We analyze the phenomena of megarexia as a reflection of the radicalization and distortion of what is desirable as well as society’s contradictions and their repercussions in dietary guidelines.

Article Details

Section
Research