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Madison Teas

Professor Mendonca

English 1301

30 May 2011

The Media and Body Image

The media, is known as the fourth pillar of democracy, has a huge impact on soci-

ety, both negative and positive. Opinions can change overnight and celebrities can become infa-

mous with just one wave by the media. The media can affect a wide variety of groups, but have

the most influence on women. The way they portrays women in television, movies and advertise-

ments cause negative effects on women physically and mentally. The media has contributed to

the increase in negative body images and eating disorders through advertisement’s and its con-

stant focus on thin, beautiful women.

There a number of factors that contribute to negative body image and the development of

eating disorders, but the media plays a large role. This is because media plays such a huge role in

our everyday lives that it is almost impossible to get away from it. The average US resident is

exposed to approximately 5,000 advertising messages a day (Alfreiter, Elzinga & Gordon, 2003).

Many of this messages are advertising what is consider beautiful. A study of 4,294 network tele-

vision commercials revealed that 1 out of every 3.8 commercials send some sort of “attractive-

ness message,” telling viewers what is or is not attractive (Myers et al., 1992). Images dis-

played by the media help define cultural meaning of beauty and attractiveness and are often asso-

ciated as one of the reasons for the rise in negative body images. Today’s images of ultra-thin

celebrities and models give viewers the definition of beauty as thinness. Female celebrities and

models often serve as role models to women, influencing our fashion, beauty and view of life.

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Over the last couple decades celebrities and models keep getting thinner. Todays model weighs

23% less than the average american woman; 20 years ago the differential was only 8% (Maine,

M 2000). Also a large number of female celebrities are a lot thinner than celebrities used to be

and are clearly skinner than the average American woman (Sypeck et al., 2004). The ultra-thin

bodies of celebrates and models are plastered all over different forms of media conveying the

message “thin is in”. For example, if you open a Victoria Secret magazine you will find the su-

per-slender models that demonstrate societies definition of beautifulness. Many people argue that

this images are a positive influence we need in society because of the high obesity rates. How-

ever, when women are surrounded by these images of unnaturally thin women and our convinced

they are of normal weight and that such low weight is healthy and desirable. This is just as much

as a health risk as being overweight. University of Wisconsin researcher Dr. Shelly Grabe and

psychology professor Janet Hyde conducted a extensive analysis of 77 previous studies that in-

clude 15,00 subjects. In these studies they found that viewing ultra-thin celebrities and models il-

lustrated by the media increased negative body images (Science Daily, 2008). This encourages

some women to lose weight even when they do not need to because they feel their bodies are in-

adequate to these super-thin body images.

Most of the images in the media that women compare themselves to are unrealistic and

unattainable. This is because many of these images are not even real, the photos of this beautiful

women are altered through expensive technology like airbrushing. Another reason why this body

image is unrealistic is because people have different body types which make it impossible to be

that thin. Only 5% of females in the United States naturally have the body type that is consider

“ideal” ( National Eating Disorder Association). Also often we forget celebrities live a very dif-

ferent life style then we do. They have access to personal trainers, nutritionist and money for

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plastic surgery. Sarah Michelle has publicly said this about thin celebrities,"How can women be

as thin as we are? We have personal trainers to work us out. We have special prepared meals”

(Kidz world). By showing these images that only a few women have it encourages eating disor-

ders like starvation.

Nowadays you cannot read a magazine or newspaper or turn on the TV without encoun-

tering promotion for weight loss.Weight-loss promotion is everywhere, and it comes in many

forms: weight-loss plans and support groups, diets, fasts, cleanses, pills, creams, supplements,

and even food itself. For example, women’s health and fitness magazine Shape, November

2002 issue feature the article “No Time for the Gym? Get Fast Results at Home!” Some people

disagree with my opinion saying this is a positive influence because we need to exercise. I agree

that we need to promote exercise and a healthy diet in the media to influence a healthier lifestyle.

But when women’s magazine frequently publish articles that encourage popular diets that are un-

healthy and guarantee the perfect body in a short time. In this way, the media influences a un-

healthy way to contain a healthy body image and can lead to eating disorders by conveying false

information to readers that suggests unhealthy eating habits are really healthy and good. The im-

ages portrayed in the media promote the use of diets, exercise and beautification products by ex-

pressing a common message, if use this product you will be attractive. For example, Diet pills

are advertised in the media as a quick and easy fix to lose weight to achieve the perfect body.

Weight loss advertisements effect more women because they are targeted towards them accord-

ing to National Eating Disorder Association, “Female magazines contain 10.5 times more adver-

tisements and articles promoting weight loss than in male magazines.” A lot of women resort to

using unhealthy diet method and diet pills because the increase to be thin. A study involving 869

school girls aged 14-16 found that more than one third (36%) of the girls reported using at least

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one extreme dieting method in the past month (Grigg, M. et al). Another popular trend that is

used to achieve the perfect body is cosmetic surgery to achieve the perfect body. By targeting

women in weight-loss advertising as well as in fashion and beauty advertising, our media are

stating the belief that women are weak and susceptible to this influence to conform to a specific

physical appearance. And largely, that has proven to be true with the epidemic of eating disor-

ders we are facing in this country, as well as the general obsession with weight that has become

pervasive throughout the nation.

Though some argue that this images promote a decrease in obesity in our society I argue

that it promotes a unhealthy way to achieve it and a unhealthy body weight. In order for us to de-

crease obesity the media needs to illustrate picture of realistic women who are a healthy weight

and decrease the number of advertisements for junk food. Negative body image and eating disor-

ders women have increased and have become a huge problem in the United States due to media.

Women are taking desperate measures like starvation, throwing up, laxatives and diet pills to

conform to this “ultra-thin” image we see on television, magazines, advertisements, and is exem-

plified by our celebrities.

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Works Cited

Aufreiter, N., D. Elizinga, and J. Gordon. "Plenary Presentation." Proc. of Third Annual Eating

Disorders on Campus Conference, Penn State. 2003. Web.

"Body Image Reality Check | Media Influence | Anorexia | Bulimia | Eating Disorder." Kids

Chat | Teen Chat | Free Online Kids Games | Safe Kids Website | Kidzworld.-

com. Web. 30 May 2011. <http://www.kidzworld.com/article/800-a-body-image-reality-

check>.

Grigg, M. "Disordered Eating and Unhealthy Weight Reduction Practices among Adolescent

Females." Preventive Medicine 25.6 (1996): 748-56. Web.

Maine, Margo. Body Wars: Making Peace with Women's Bodies : an Activist's

Guide. Carlsbad, CA: Gürze, 2000. Print.

National Eating Disorders Association. Web. 30 May 2011.

<http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/about-us/contact-us.php>.

Sypeck, Mia Foley, James J. Gary, and Anthony H. Ahrens. "“No Longer Just A Pretty Face.”."

International Journal of Eating Disorders. 36.3 (2004): 342-47. Web.

University of Wisconsin- Madison. ""Sweeping Analysis Of Research Reinforces Strong Media

Influence On Women's Body Image."" University of Wisconsin- Madison (2008).

Science Daily. 12 May 2011. Web.