Size Ten to Zero

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Recommended: portrayals of women in media

At no time in history have women been so pressured to be thin. Inner beauty and personality is no longer enough. Women all over the world look at themselves and can only find imperfections. Media constantly shows thin, youthful, and “perfect” women, whom in reality have just as many imperfections as the average woman. Body image in the media tends to be a controversial topic on whether or not it has a negative effect on women in today’s society. “. . . this obsession has contributed to an increase in eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression among women in the United States” (Point: Body Image In The Media Is An Unhealthy Picture). What the public sees as beautiful has constantly changed over the decades. These changes have transformed the messages of the media to “you must be this size or you are not beautiful.” Many women have spent and wasted their lives with diets and starvation in order to reach the standards the media sets. A controversy has evolved from the question as to whether media is the real cause of these problems. Women now see themselves in a negative light due to the change in what is seen as beautiful in society and a constant use of airbrushing in advertisements. This has resulted in an increase in eating disorders and self esteem issues. Throughout history, society’s view of a perfect body has fluctuated. In the 1920’s, “boyishly slender, narrow-hipped, and flat chested” (Body Image & the Media: An Overview) was the “ideal” body for all women. Over the next few decades, this view shifted. “By the 1950s, the curvaceous figure of Marilyn Monroe set the standard for the perfect body”(Point: Body Image In The Media Is An Unhealthy Picture). Large breasts and hips were in, and many models and actresses... ... middle of paper ... ... Image Is Influenced By Many Factors, Not Just Media.” Points of VIew: Body Image and the Media (2013) : 3. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 2 Dec. 2013 Frances M. Berg, Women Afraid to Eat : Breaking Free in Today’s Weight - Obsessed World. Hettinger, ND : Healthy Weight Network, 2001. Web 2 Dec. 2013. "Is airbrushing in magazines and advertisements out of control?" Sydney Morning Herald [Sydney, Australia] 6 Aug. 2011: 12. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Schwarz, Fred. “Images of Thin Fashion Models Do Not Play a Role in Eating Disorders. “The Fashion Industry. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit : Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. RPt from “Not out Stars But Ourselves : Skinny Actresses and Models Do Not Make Girls Anorexic. “National Review 61 (23 Feb. 2009) : 22. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.

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