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The global media is spreading eating disorders in non-western cultures, say Leicester University researchers. Psychiatrist Mervat Nasser, author of Culture and Weight Consciousness, claims that bulimia and anorexia, once thought to be unique to white western cultures, are becoming as common in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America as they are in the West.

"It is linked to the degree of identification with western cultural norms," Dr Nasser said. "The global media could be playing an important role in disseminating these values."