The Unrealistic Body Image

In the article “Never Just Pictures,” the author, Susan Bordo, addresses the cultural reasons behind the rise in eating disorders. She asserts that modern media and advertising campaigns have played an integral role in this increase. Though unfortunate, the media’s focus is not on the well-being of its viewers, but on the level of cash flow they provide. The advertising moguls use their agencies as double edged swords; they will make ads for McDonalds, then go in the next room and conduct a photo-shoot with a six-foot-two, eighty pound woman. The world of advertising needs to realize their work is being seen by millions of people and is affecting some of those people in extremely negative ways.

We all in some point of our lives been, so delighted with a fairy tale movie or a book, but do not think about the drastic consequence it is portraying on having an ideal body image? Over, the decades we have seen how fairy tales have impacted every individual. From having our great grandparents to our parents reading and watching fairy tales at a very young age. Fairy Tales have been a great phenomenon for a very long time. With the making of Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, and much more loved by many people. As time his passing, people are realizing that fairy tales are affecting young girls at a very young age. Targeting mainly their body image. Body image is really important for many girls because they need to be up to date with the fashion trends society is putting out there. Now, a day’s many Fairy Tales movies are being created in looking slim, pretty, blonde, long beautiful dress, and perfect with no imperfection. In creating these false expectations on how a girl is supposed to look is drastically changing their minds. Also, is affecting their self-esteem in being low, due to not being satisfied with their body. Young girls want to be a princess because they have everything and receive all the attention. Having the characteristic of a princess is changing girls in evolving a false identity. In having a perfect body like a princess is causing other girls to not fit in because they do not fit in the category of perfect. Although, some accept

The body image movement aims to improve the relationship between women and their bodies in a more positive manner (Dove 2014). Currently, women are suffering from an increase in body self-consciousness as a result of medias role regarding beauty ideals. Researchers have found that women worldwide do not view themselves as beautiful and are consistently troubled about their appearance and concluded that six out of ten girls are concerned about their appearances (Dove 2014). As a result, anxiety and self-consciousness are all contributing factors producing significant health concerns among women (Aubrey 2007). Media has developed a reputation in society for women to be held to unachievable beauty standards as they promote a “thin culture” (Hesse-Biber et al. 2006). This promotion of beauty standards has inspired the body image movement to educate and encourage women to love their bodies in order to achieve more self-esteem and confidence (Dove 2014). As well as, corporations are beginning to

Body image is how a person feels toward their bodies, and how they picture what other people see them as. Stereotypes started by the media cause normal women to sometimes feel insecure. This can case eating and mental disorders. These disorders can be dismissed by people that think the victim is just seeking attention, but these problems are real. The media, magazines, advertisements, and other social practices are negatively affecting women and how they view themselves.

Body image refers to how people see themselves physically. People's body image begins forming perceptions of on people's

The study of body image is a broad topic that touches many subjects including gender. However, the study of body image has been focused mainly on females. This is because the physical shape and image of male bodies have not changed over the history. From the ancient Greek until the modern era, the masculinity is the predominant stereotype for men. Masculine traits include courage, independence and assertiveness (Judith, 2001; Murray, 2000). In contrast to the male body, the female figures have been varied over time and across culture. In the modern era, the thin shaped figure is the ultimate desire of most women because it reflects the beauty and attractiveness of women according to our modern culture (Thompson et al, 1999; Thompson and Stice, 2001). Therefore, failing to meet the societal expectations of being muscular male or thin female may lead to a separation between virtual and actual social identity.

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

The controversy over the unrealistic body image portrayed by the culturally iconic Barbie doll has been a topic of interest in sociology for many years. The research on this subject aims to determine the role that Barbie plays, if any, in the prevalence of negative body image and self esteem issues in young girls. The Barbie doll, introduced by Mattel, Inc. in 1959, can easily be considered the most popular doll in the world with 99% of 3 to 10 year olds owning at least one Barbie doll, and an average of eight Barbie dolls each just in the United States (Rogers, 1999). Barbie has received extensive criticism over the years for her ultrathin and highly unattainable body proportions. A majority of the relevant literature has focused on the influence of body ideals on adults, and not enough has been directed towards the impact it may have on children (Brownell & Napolitano, 1994). Some overall trends in the research on the influence of Barbie on young girl’s developing body image and self concept include Barbie’s role in socializing young girls, scaling Barbie dolls to an adult height in order to compare body proportions to real life adults, and conducting studies to assess the impact on body image that exposure to Barbies may produce. The following section will elaborate on these key themes in the current research discussing how the female body image is unrealistically depicted by Barbie dolls.

others, had her checked into the emergency room twice because of her eating disorder. Her story shows how far people are willing to go in order to meet the ideal body type even if it means that their health may be at risk. Social media, peer pressure, and lack of self-esteem all are very dangerous factors to health and the accessibilities to these are available to anyone and everyone which only makes one phantom how many people one knows may be battling the same battle Leah was.

Ever since the development of the media such as television, the internet, various fashion magazines and commercial advertisements, society focused more and more on personal appearances. Not only were runway models becoming slimmer but the viewers that watched and read about them were becoming more concerned with their weight. In the past fifty years the number of adolescent girls developing eating disorders increased just as television, advertisements, and magazines were becoming a social norm that was easily and often available. Today, more than ever, adolescents are worrying about weight, shape, size and body image and. It does not help that these children are growing up in a world filled with media material emphasizing dangerously

Sports Illustrated, Victoria’s Secret, Vogue. What do these titles have in common? They are all brands that are prevalent in the media, all brands that feature the same underweight, unrealistic figures, with models void of stretch marks or body fat. In today’s technological society, the influence of the media is irrefutable; however, it has become increasingly evident that on the issue of body image, the media has failed its audience. Rather than portraying the average population, media such as television and magazines have become accustomed to casting actors and actresses who have similar, ideal body types, and photoshopping models beyond the point of recognition. By perpetuating these unhealthy, unrealistic images, the media is, perhaps unintentionally,

Unrealistic female body image is a widely discussed subject. Our culture portrays women as thin and beautiful. Having these qualities supposedly allows her to be wealthy, as well as successful. Thin, beautiful women are portrayed in movies, on television and in magazines. These expectations only lead to a woman having a poor body image. (Ettarh, R. 2009) Glamorized images of young women can attribute to low self-esteem in teenage girls. They are exposed to peer pressure every day. They are rated by their peers according to how they are dressed and if they are stylish, as well as thin. Models are tall and thin. The majority of teenage girls do not fit that description. Their bodies are still developing and changing. Older women also

This ethical issue is important for the society especially to the women and young girls who are being blind of the wrong advertisement of body image. Media contributes a huge impact on people, they are showing the unrealistic image of ‘perfect body’ to their audience that influences their idea on what body should they have. Most of the people who gets sway by those media advertising are young people. Magazines, television and another form of media are setting beauty standards that influence a lot of people to want a perfect body.

Morant, H. (2000). BMA demands more responsible media attitude on body image. British Medical Journal, 320(7248), 1495. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/203999379?accountid=10458

These issues arise when trying to conform to the beauty myth. Individuals with a negative body image are extremely likely to encounter many psychological issues involving depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts because of their dissatisfaction with their appearances. Media along with other things contribute to eating disorders and dietary supplements. Many studies have shown how media conveys the images and stereotypes of the perfect women among individuals. Media not only is directed to women but also has ideals and norms that men should follow.