Women’s Fitness Magazines influence women’s idea of beauty and the “ideal body

Millions of women every day look at women’s fitness magazines that portray the “ideal” body, and every year spend billions of dollars on diet and exercise advice as well as advertisements to put in these magazines. The images and advertisements are very unrealistic; selling body dissatisfaction to readers and the ultimate message being sent to women is that unless they have this perfect “ideal” body, they are not good enough. So, before we move further, what are body image and the “ideal” body?
Body image is the subjective picture or mental image of one’s own body. It is basically how you feel about your body, and includes your perception, imagination, emotions, and physical sensations. What then, is an ideal body? The answer is that it will vary from person to person and as such, there is no precise definition (Body Image).
Weight loss and dieting are two very important issues that women struggle with. Many people desire to be thin in our critical world. While being fit and thin increasingly defines the meaning of attractiveness these days, women will go to great lengths to accomplish such ‘beauty’, allowing self-objectification and body dissatisfaction to take over. In order to understand this, it is important to recognize the motivations and effects of women’s fitness magazines.
Women’s fitness magazines have gained popularity among women. Many women internalize the images they see in these magazines and experience a need of approval from others. These magazines, which focus on healthy living and staying in shape, promote dieting tips, exercise tutorials, and reviews in which women have lost weight, encourage women to work hard and become exactly what they see. The health information communicated to women shows them what they could be if they take the fitness magazine seriously.
By exploring women’s fitness magazines and the effects that they have on women is