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"Models wanted for bar promotion… candidates must be physically fit…" (See figure 1). This ad and others like it are printed everyday throughout newspapers and magazines that are read by millions of teenaged girls and women. Some girls may glance at the ads, and pay them no attention. But there are others who feel the "perfect" people in the ads are the ones they should strive to be like to live a more fulfilling life. As most people already know, nobody is perfect. In order to be as close to perfect as possible, extreme measures are taken to achieve the "perfect" body. Because the average teenage girl cannot afford plastic surgery or liposuction, they take the route they can afford, not eating. This is where eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia come in. Because of the "images of perfection" portrayed by everyday media, thousands of girls and women suffer and die from starving themselves to be perfect.
The two most common eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. These disorders are most frequently connected with young women who are dissatisfied with the way they look. The contributing factor to them feeling that way is the way the mass media repeatedly equates female beauty and success with a level of thinness that is unattainable for most women ("Adolescent Body Image…"). Anorexia can be diagnosed by the following symptoms; refusal to maintain weight (this is over the lowest weight considered normal for their age and height), an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, a distorted body image and, in women, three consecutive missed menstrual periods without pregnancy (Farley). Bulimia can be diagnosed by; recurrent episodes of binge eating, a feeling of a lack of control over eating during binges, use of self-induced vomiting, laxatives or diuretics, strict dieting, fasting, or vigorous exercise and a persistent over-concern with body shape and weight (Gottlieb 88). In short, both disorders are extremely unhealthy and dangerous ways to go about losing weight.
The biggest issue concerning these two eating disorders and the media is who or what is to blame for the thousands of young girls and women suffering and dying for perfection. Is it television? Is it movies? Or is it the ads throughout magazines and newspapers featuring the many known models of the day? Some feel the influence comes from one of the three, others feel the influence stems from all of the three. To examine these queries, many studies and surveys have been done to find the answers.
College papers on Body Image and the Media
Television is the most popular form of free entertainment today. People of all ages watch television. The "beautiful people" seen on the television screen are a major influence on the lives of the people who watch them. They are idolized and imitated by the people who watch them. Because they are mostly thin, and on television, the theory that you have to be thin to gain money and success comes into effect. This leads to the idea that being fat or overweight is going to get you nowhere, although there are many overweight, very successful people on television. According to a study done by researchers from the School of Psychology at Flinders University, two groups of girls aged 1-15 and 15-17 who were shown 0 commercials containing females who "epitomized the current thin ideal," and 0 commercials that did not contain these images. The study produced results that on average, the "thin ideal" television commercials had a negative impact on the girls' moods and body image for both groups of girls ("Adolescent Body Image…"). Obviously, from the results, one can see that regardless of age or maturity level, if you are unhappy with the way you look, people on television who are the epitome of how you view beauty will further affect they way you view yourself.
For years going out to movies, or in more modern days, renting movies to watch at home has been another popular activity used for entertainment. Millions of people watch movies. And a lot like television, many notable stars are featured in the movies. The same people who watch television and idolize its stars do the same for movies, but now they just have to pay to do it. Not only do the "perfect" people in the movies perpetuate the low self-worth that can lead to picking up bad eating habits, but the movie plots themselves can also be discouraging. For example, the movie Shallow Hal, the main character in the movie was generally mean and rude to overweight women, as people are everyday. He only wanted to date thin, beautiful women. Because of his prejudice, a spell was put upon him which caused him to have a sort of backward vision. Every overweight woman he saw appeared thin in his eyes. Due to his distorted view of women, he only dated exceptionally large women. Because of this, onlookers and his friends constantly ridiculed him. But don't big women need love too? At the end of the movie, the spell wore off and his normal way of perceiving woman was restored, but now he had more of a respect for big women. The way the main character felt in the beginning of the movie is the way many men really feel. The sad part of that is that big women know that this is the way a lot of men feel. What do they do about it; not eat to conform. Yet again, this is another part of modern media adding to some women's' already low self-image.
The last question of whom or what is to blame for the distorted images girls follow are the magazine ads that all usually feature well-known models. No matter what magazine, be it fashion, teen or business, there is some clothing or perfume ad featuring half-dressed people, appearing to be so happy and loving life. The average woman sees 400 to 600 advertisements per day ("Body Image and Advertising"). Ads send the message that "if you are not a size one, you can not wear Calvin Klein jeans" or "you have to be thin to wear Tommy Girl perfume." Women tend to compare themselves to everybody around them. With "perfect" women on nearly every page of a magazine, some cannot help but wonder if they are as pretty as the woman in the picture. And if they feel they do not compare with the models, some will do whatever it takes to match up. The main course of action taken is not eating and over-exercising.
From looking at three common types of media, one can see why people believe that the media is a large contributing factor to the rise in cases of anorexia and bulimia. Whether it is television, movies, or magazines, a woman who is unhappy with herself will emulate who she believes will make her happy. Unfortunately, if that means starving oneself skinny, then so be it. Some critics believe that only people with low self-esteem will do almost anything to change who they are and become someone else in hopes of gaining self-confidence. This speculation may be true in
some cases but not all. In a survey done by Teen People, out of 100 well-rounded, strong-minded, A-plus students 56 percent of them claim to have been negatively influenced about their appearance by television and magazine ads (Todd 0). They also said that the clothing ads featured in magazines had the most negative influence. The theory that low self-esteem equals low self-confidence goes right out the window.
Women should not subject themselves to unhealthy practices to try to be flawless like the women in magazine ads. Everyone has flaws; even the women in the ads are not flawless themselves. The models' features are enhanced with props, lighting angles and computer techniques. Their shapes and sizes are also altered. If they have the slightest flaw unwanted by a photographer such as, blemishes, freckles, lines, and wrinkles, they are edited out. And in movies, body doubles are used when certain body parts of the actors do not match up with the "perfect" image. Pictures are also edited, touched up and doctored to fit the "image of perfection." ("Body Image and the Media…") Therefore, even though the people in the pictures and on television and movies seem to be perfect, nobody is perfect. Being healthy is more important than being perfect.
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