The Media Lies: Effects of the Media on Body Image Essay

“People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder,” according to Salma Hayek. Society should have a positive outlook on body image, rather than face a disorder that can change one’s whole life. Negative body image can result from the media, with photoshop and editing, celebrity fad diets, and society’s look at the perfect image. Negative body image can lead to dangerous eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia. It can also take a risk to unhealthy habits, such as smoking, alcohol, and drugs. It is important to stress the effects of body image, because the world still struggles with this today. Society should not be affected by

Furthermore, media surrounds teenage girls in today’s culture. It is impossible to escape the sight of media. The media’s constant idealistic beauty is ever present to a vast amount of self-conscious girls. This image of beauty causes girls to have low self-esteem (Clay, Vignoles, and Dittmar). Media defining this perfect body image causes many adolescent girls to feel dissatisfied with their bodies and become depressed. “Viewing ultra-thin or average-size models led to decreases in both body satisfaction and self-esteem in adolescent girls aged eleven to sixteen, with changes in self-esteem fully mediated by changes in body satisfaction” (Clay, Vignoles, and Dittmar).

For many years the media has been blasted as the cause of numerous negative events that continue to happen in our society. Anti-media supporters have placed the blame for increased violence in the nation on media’s exposure to violent entertainment shows and movies. Media’s promotion of the thin ideal in female models and actors as well as media’s use of very muscular male models and actors may perpetuate the idea that the average person should either be skinny or muscular. An average person who is not skinny or muscular may feel as though they are not living up to society standards which greatly effects their emotional self-esteem. However not every person encountered indicates they are negatively affected by media’s emphasis on skinny or muscular people.

In this written piece I will discover the topics of how the beauty media promotion has an impact and result on the appearance of women today and how this can effect someone’s confidence and self-esteem and showing what beautiful is now classed as in today’s beauty world. How this can result in how someone perceives themselves to be and how the media has a big influence on our young adults today how it has influenced people to change their face & body by range of different cosmetic surgery, The effects it can have on the human mind & body According to The Effects of the Media on Body Image: A Meta-Analysis Amanda J. Holmstrom Pages 196-217 | Published online: 07 Jun 2010.

The media group that retouches images skews the “normal” body image of people through many of its outlets, including models in advertising and magazines, and actors in TV and movie productions. “The average model portrayed in the media is approximately 5’11” and 120 pounds. By contrast, the average American woman is 5’4” and 140 pounds” (Holmstrom, 2004). This statistic shows how the media manipulates consumers into believing that because they are not what the average model looks like, they are not living up to a certain standard which implies that they need to look like that to be beautiful. Another research fact that shows a similar concept is that, “In the United States, 94% of female characters in television programs are thinner than the average American woman, with whom the media frequently associate happiness, desirability, and success in life” (Yamamiya et al., 2005). This association of female thinness and happiness, desirability and success makes consumers believe they must achieve this unrealistic thinness to achieve more ultimate goals and fulfillment in life. “The media also explicitly instruct how to attain thin bodies by dieting, exercising, and body-contouring surgery, encouraging female consumers to believe that they can and should be thin” (Yamamiya et al., 2005). This idealization of thinness in the media is seen so much, and is extremely harmful to women’s self confidence and is often associated with body image dissatisfaction, which can be a precursor to social anxiety, depression, eating disturbances, and poor self-esteem (Yamamiya et al.,

The media has distorted people’s views on the way they look at their own body image. The media has shown what their ideal body type is, while leaving people to feel as if the average weight is not good enough. (Cardosi, 2006) We live in a world where people feel as if having zero body fat is the idea body type to have. Pictures of models for clothing stores, bathing suits, lingerie etc. all exhibit to this to be true. Body image is perceived to be negatively influenced by the media and the way that the media displays their models. Parents, teachers, adolescence and even children all find themselves to be comparing themselves based on what the media exposes. (Levine & Murnen, 2009)

Promotion by the media of the extraordinarily thin body types has been linked to the steady rise of eating disorders, especially among adolescents (Ballaro & Wagner, 2017). Experts believe that there are more than ten million females suffering from some sort of eating disorder and that the problems are happening in patients of younger and younger ages. The gap between the average woman’s body and the ideal body is much larger than before (Spitzer, Henderson, & Zivian, 1999). Ninety four percent of characters in the United States media, are thinner than the average woman (Gonzalez-Lavin & Smolak, 1995). The average American woman is only 5’4” tall and weighs approximately 165 pounds (Martin 2010). The media depicts happiness, wealth and success associated to unrealistic body types (Tiggemann, 2002). Not only does the media display this image, it also exhaustively provides information to encourage achievement of it as well. Whether through dieting, exercise or mild to extreme cosmetic surgery for body sculpting, women are feeling the pressure that they need to be thin and often take even the most dangerous methods to obtain this. Considering that these delusional ideals are nearly impossible for most average women, without choosing unhealthy and harmful behaviors, eating disorder theorists have proclaimed that media is supporting these habits (Levine & Smolak, 1998). It is estimated that 10-15% of girls and women between the ages of 9 and 19 are affected by eating disorders. Though the death rates vary from different studies, one thing is for sure; eating disorders can have many health risks, including death. With the unrealistic ability to achieve the super thin body image many women are still turning to these harmful methods in order to try; thus resulting in death of someone every 62 minutes as a result (Eating Disorders Coalition,

Today’s culture has placed women across the globe in a position where they are constantly flooded with idealistic images that depict what the media perceives as the “perfect body.” Quite often, young university-attending females, those who are involved in social identity formation, are exposed to numerous forms of media that fabricate various experiences relative to body image. In the past, researchers have surveyed women who are exposed to body-related standards using multiple forms of mass media as a unified entity, which has caused for limitations since each means -such as magazine advertisements- differs in relation to how a thin idealistic image is portrayed. In light of prior research, Harper and Tiggman established that

Researchers have discovered that “ongoing exposure to certain ideas can shape and distort our perceptions on reality.” (Mintz 2007) Because young girls are subjected to a constant display of beautiful people in the media, they have developed a negative body image of themselves. Those who have a negative body image perceive their body as being unattractive or even hideous compared to others, while those with a positive body image will see themselves as attractive, or will at least accept themselves and be comfortable in their own skin. During adolescence, negative body image is especially harmful because of the quick changes both physically and mentally occurring during puberty. Also, young girls are becoming more and more exposed to the media and the media keeps getting more and more provocative. Young girls are looking to women with unrealistic body shapes as role models. It’s hard to find, in today’s media, a “normal” looking

Images of female bodies are everywhere. Women, and their bodies, sell everything from food to cars. Women's magazines are full of articles urging women to fit a certain mold. While standing in a grocery store line you can see all different magazines promoting fashion, weight loss, and the latest diet. Although the magazines differ, they all seemingly convey the same idea: if you have the perfect body image you can have it all…the perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career. The media, whether TV, print, or Internet advertising, seems to play a huge role in influencing women of all ages; from adolescence and teens, to women in their twenties and thirties, as well as

The pressure on girls to have ‘perfect’ bodies has grown increasingly over time. Media exposure such as social media, billboards, magazines, television, all represent images of tall, skinny models that resemble perfection. And what exactly is perfection? “A quality, trait, or feature of ­­­the highest degree of excellence.” This is what many young women and teenagers aspire to be. What most people still don’t realize is that the majority of the pictures that they see in magazines are altered in some way. It is a setup for self-hatred. They believe that the pictures are reflective of the real world. NCBI conducted a study of the relationship between media and eating disorders among undergraduate college students found that media exposure predicted

Another problem mentally and physically is eating disorders. An eating disorder is a psychological disorder characterized by serious eating problems (Google) ; there are three types of eating disorders Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorders. An article written by Mayo Clinic talks about causes of an eating disorder and one of these causes is society, as you read on the Mayo talks about how the “modern Western cultural environment often cultivates and reinforces a desire for thinness. Success and worth are often equated with being thin in popular culture. Peer pressure and what people see in the media may fuel this desire to be thin, particularly among young girls.” (Mayo Clinic Staff ,Eating Disorders,MayoClinic.com) With that information shared to us by the Mayo Clinic shows that the Media plays a huge role in eating disorders. According to the American Psychological Association when you have an eating disorder you suffer from low self-esteem, feeling of helplessness, and intense dissatisfaction with the way they look. The article also talks about how eating disorders mostly affect teenage girls and woman.

Over the decades, many women of all shapes and sizes have struggled with body image and low self-esteem which has been affected by media’s portrayal of beauty. In a study performed in the United Kingdom, researchers “examined whether young women who make implicit associations between underweight models and positive attributes report elevated eating disorder symptoms” (Ahern). An eating disorder is evidence of an individual’s lack of positive body image. The person believes that he or she has to fit a certain ideal in order to be accepted and liked by others. The article states that, “societal pressure to be thin is thought to be a major contributor to the high levels of body dissatisfaction,” which once again demonstrates how much

According to a study on body image 42% of first to third grade girls want to be thinner (Collins,1991). This presents a dilemma to parents and educators, as adolescent girls are becoming increasingly concerned with their body image, and have been led to unhealthy practices in their desire to be thinner. Research into this showed that as much as 57% of adolescent girls engage in harmful practices such as fasting, self induced vomiting, or diet pills (Boutelle et al, 2002).This occurs as a result of youth being subject to environments that promote an unrealistic “ideal” body. This can affect our perception of our bodies and what is considered to be healthy or “normal”. It is also due to media promoting an “ideal” body type. This affects perception of body in adolescent girls due to the overwhelming amount of unrealistic body ideals that these girls are subject to. This conditions girls to practice unhealthy eating habits. an overwhelming 69% of elementary school girls who read magazines say that he pictures greatly alter their perception of the “ideal body”, and that subsequently, these images make them want to lose weight. (Martin, 2010) This issue will only continue to grow unless steps are taken to eradicate it. In order to ensure that is done, issues and negative associations with body image in girls should be eliminated at a young age. Implementing this should come in the form of mandatory health education, the elimination of body related stigmas and the promotion of

It’s almost impossible to ignore the many images of thin beautiful women. When turning the pages of a popular magazine, women are being invited by the ads and spreads to look a certain way, thin. What girls don’t see is that the average size of women today is a size 16 not a 6. Models look beautiful for a reason. They have hair stylists, makeup artists, wardrobe people, and skin care specialists to make them look that way. Besides that they have the best photographers in the world. Beauty and fashion ads don’t just sell a product they sell a lifestyle. Many adolescents can be influenced to have a positive body image despite all of the negative media influences. Many magazines designed especially for adolescent girls, such as American Girl, focus on positive outlooks on the young girl’s lifestyle. American Girl Magazine says “Girls in this age group are more curious about the world than ever before. They’re beginning to consider the impact they can have on the people around them, on the environment, and on their future. All the while, they’re undergoing profound biological changes. Adolescent girls are entering one of the most challenging and complex phases of her life so far. Our advice titles include expert guidance on serious topics, such as The Care & Keeping of You and Staying Home Alone. In its eleventh