Unrealistic Body Image Essay

689 Words2 Pages

“The Causes of Unrealistic Body Images” In the early 1900’s, women that were bigger and more voluptuous were considered to be healthy and wealthy. Women like Marilyn Monroe were the ideal body type. As years progressed, a different body type became more ideal -- ultra-thin and size 0. Worldwide, women are bombarded daily with the media’s images of ultra-thin women that appear to be the ideal by our civilization. The average female fashion model weighs about 120 lbs while, the National Center for Health Statistics tells us that the average American woman weighs about 170 lbs. Most people do not realize that the average women weigh 170 lbs because they assume that what they see on TV is normal. These unrealistic body images create an image that …show more content…

According to an article on WebMD about body image, the average teen girl gets about 180 minutes of media exposure daily and that females who reported greater exposure to television programming were more likely to experience high levels of body image disturbance. The concept of body image has changed greatly due to the powerful influence of the media. Recent studies show that TV shows began to affect the self-esteem of kids as early as on as age five. 20% percent of nine-year-olds and over 40% of fourteen-year-olds reported wanting to lose weight. Nearly half of female’s age’s six to eight have stated that they want to be thinner. The underweight models and actresses constantly being featured in media are seen as role models to these young children who are easily tempted to be just like …show more content…

In Canada alone today, between 80 % and 90 % of women and girls are unhappy with the way they look which can lead to serious mental health illnesses. Women develop mental illnesses , including depression when they think they do not “measure up to the media's image of beauty”. When in reality, almost all of the images viewed today in our media have been edited and retouched. Ultimately, the unrealistic body images caused by the media can lead to unhappiness and low self-confidence both of which are symptoms of

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