During your lifetime 250,000 people will die due to an eating disorder. Is this really the type of society we want to be a part of? One which causes people to die needlessly due to media influences which cause the augmentation of a detrimental body image? In the eyes of society emaciated celebrities are the embodiment of perfection. This media ideal of thinness presents society with an unrealistic body image and is projected through the means of television, commercials and magazines, causing women to replicate this ideal. False idealism is the jurisdiction of the 21st century with the number of teenage girls in Britain being admitted to hospital due to anorexia doubling in the last decade. The fundamental reason I chose this topic is because of how it has recently dominated headlines and magazines, portraying a ‘perfect’ body image and I wanted to research why this is assumed. In order to decide on this topic I read through antecedent information which enabled me to refine and refocus my topic several times before finalizing it. I then wrote out they key format of my project including the project title and from there drew out the main concepts which were eating disorders, body image and the media. An eating disorder is an obsessive attitude to food which manifests itself in an irrational craving for, or avoidance of, food. The perfect body measurements appear to be height 5”8’, Waist 24 inches, Hips 28 inches and a weight of around 146 pounds. The media places much stress on obtaining this so-called ‘utopian’ body image and society pays a significant amount of attention to this physical attractiveness, youthfulness and appearance. No matter how hard someone tries, they will never achieve the look and figure of the supermodels ye... ... middle of paper ... ...rily for the title, with only a few issues contradicting. The majority of my research confirmed what I already knew, with a couple of hitches and controversial facts encountered throughout my project. Throughout my project I considered various other views, including those of previous eating disorder sufferers and this has swayed and aided the success of my project. I believe I have considered most views associated with the media and body image which has helped me to present a balanced argument. When embarking on my project it was important to take into account the various views associated with eating disorders. In my opinion eating disorders are already a key, modern day issue surrounding the 21st century and the media is just DEEPENING THE EFFECT. My research has highlighted the extensive and CONTROVERSIAL impact the media has on females views on body image.
National Eating Disorder Association (2006). The media, body image, and eating disorders. Retrieved October 11, 2008, from http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
The complications that accompany body image have long been an issue in society. Body image is the sense of how an individual views his or her own body as compared to others in society, or what is considered to be the ideal body image. There are many different factors that effect ones body image, but a major influence is the media. The media has long been associated with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where an individual participates in self-starvation, and bulimia is an eating disorder where an individual will eat as much as he or she wishes and then purges the previously eaten food. These are two destructive eating disorders that are associated with a negative body image. This comes to question, does media have an influence on creating a negative body image, which may inherently lead to eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia? Anorexia nervosa and bulimia affect various age groups but is extremely common in adolescence and emerging adulthood. During this stage in an individual’s lifespan there is a lot going on with ones psychological development as well as body. How an adolescent views his or her body image be highly impacted by how the media portrays what the ideal body image is. According to Berger (2015), “as might be expected from a developmental perspective, healthy eating begins with childhood habits and family routines” (p.415). If proper eating habits are not implemented negative body image and eating disorders that are associated with media becomes further predominant in adolescence and emerging adulthood.
Derenne, Jennifer L., and Eugene V. Beresin. "Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorders." Academic Psychiatry 30. June (2006): 257-61. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.
Paragraph 1- Girls can become victims of eating disorders because of society's promotion of an ideal thin female body. Models and stars shown in the fashion industry, magazines, movies, and other forms of media often appear very thin. These models are not a true reflection of the average female. Many are unnaturally thin, unhealthy or airbrushed. One former Victoria Secret model was shocked by the waiflike models that were shown on the runway during designer shows. A study referenced in the the article “Do Thin Models Warp Girls Body Image” describes how studies of girls as young as first grade think the culture is telling them to model themselves after celebrities who are svelte and beautiful. The same studies showed girls exposed to fashion magazines were most likely to suffer from poor body images. Psychologist and eating disorder experts agree the fashion industry has gone too far in showing dangerously thin images that women and young girls may try to emulate. The use of super slim models and stars, is sending the wrong message to young impressionable girls. These harsh influences lead us to think that thin is ideal body size. Seeing super thin models in the media plays a role in anorexia. Society’s promotion of a thin female body contributes to eating disorders for females striving to achieve this ideal bod...
Picture the world controlled by the media. Could you imagine how ugly, scarce, and hateful it would be. What would you do if a magazine or a television show told you that your body weight had to be twenty pounds lighter to be all most perfect? Would you actually consider the fact or let ignore it? Teens, mainly girls, will be sucked into these magazines. (National Eating Disorders Info Centre 15) These could be magazines like Seventeen and Cosmo Girl. In addition with many others of course. All though, the media is a bad example at times it is not precisely the main issue for negative body image. (National Eating Disorders Association 1) All though, these constant screaming messages the media produces can progress to something more serious. (National Eating Disorders Association 1) More serious as in an eating disorder.
One of the main external factors in the development of an eating disorder is the media. The media objectifies both men and women throug...
Eating disorders are described as an illness involving eating habits that are irregular and an extreme concern with body image or weight. Eating disorders tend to appear during teenage years, but can develop at any age. Although more common in women, eating disorders can affect any age, gender or race. In the United States, over 20 million women and 10 million men are personally affected by eating disorders. There are many different causes of eating disorders such as low self esteem, societal pressures, sexual abuse and the victims perception of food. Eating disorders are unique to the sufferer and often, their perception of themselves is so skewed, they may not be aware they have an eating disorder. Media, for quite some time now, has played a significant part in eating disorders. Magazines with headlines ‘Summer Body’, or ‘Drop LB’s Fast!’ attract the attention of girls who may be insecure with themselves. Television productions such as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or American’s Next Top Model, show airbrushed and photoshopped women who have body types that may be unachievable. Those who are suffering from eating disorders can suffer dangerous consequences, and it is important to seek help.
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness; 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders and only 1 in 10 of those 24 million are treated (ANAD). Eating disorders do not discriminate; all ages, genders, ethnicities and races can be victim to this mental illness. It’s important to be aware of the impact eating disorders have on societies across the globe and how the media plays a role if we want to fight the source and promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. I’ve known many people in my life who have some sort of eating disorder, whether it’s anorexia(not eating enough), binge eating(eating large amounts of food rapidly), bulimia (throwing up their food) or just struggling with an unsatisfying self-image. Becoming aware of eating disorders and how they are developed is important to me because in a perfect world, I would like to see this illness become less common or diminished completely among those that I love and anyone else in today’s society. Eating disorders hit home for many people, including myself. Raising awareness may decrease the rate of eating disorders by informing the population of the harm this illness causes and hopefully promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. With the 3 theoretical approaches used by sociologists, Eating disorders can be understood which will better inform society on how to raise awareness, prevent this illness and help those who suffer from eating disorders.
I suffer from anorexia nervosa. I am one of 24 million people in the United States that suffers from an eating disorder and I am only one in ten of those people that has received treatment for my lifestyle (Noordenbox, et al). Multiple doctors, therapists, social workers, and treatment facilities have put forth their time and effort to try and put me and others like me on a path towards recovery. Every educated mind fighting this battle though is waging a war that cannot be won on the current grounds it is being fought. A steady torrent of magazines glamorizing thigh gaps, movies showing perfectly sculpted bodies, photographs showcasing flawless models, and an unrelenting advertising market built around fake and unrealistic projections of perfection is constantly pouring into young eyes and washing through young minds. The greed fueled monster known as the American media is fostering a more welcome environment for eating disorders in the American youth and undermining kind-hearted efforts to save lives from the lifestyle with the highest mortality rate of any mental illness (Noordenbox, et al).
Fat phobia is one of the major causes of anorexia, and 81% of ten year old girls fear becoming fat. A body image complex is very serious mental issue that becoming more and more eminent in society today. The media should not be able to show only one “perfect” view of the female body. Media’s influence effects eating disorders and the ideal body-image negatively, and causes models to harm themselves in the process.
“The attention-grabbing pictures of various high-flying supermodels and actors on different magazine covers and advertisements go a long way in influencing our choices” (Bagley). The media is highly affective to everyone, although they promote an improper image of living. Research proved says those with low self-esteem are most influenced by media. Media is not the only culprit behind eating disorders. However, that does not mean that they have no part in eating disorders. Media is omnipresent and challenging it can halt the constant pressure on people to be perfect (Bagley). Socio-cultural influences, like the false images of thin women have been researched to distort eating and cause un-satisfaction of an individual’s body. However, it is clear that, although virtually all women are exposed to these socio-cultural influences, only a very small proportion develop clinical eating disorders (Mazzeo and Bulik). Every article believes that socio-culture have an impact on eating disorders. Although, researchers believe that is not the only reason, and the easiest statement to make. Eating disorders are far more complicated than it just being blamed on the media. Bagley, Mazzeo and Bulik all state that media play a role in the development but are not the main reason to developing an eating disorder. In all of the research done thus far media is a part of eating disorders, but not the only culprit.
In modern day society, many adolescent girls are self-conscious of their bodies, like Samantha Murray. In “Female Body Image and the Mass Media: Perspectives on How Women Internalize the Ideal Beauty Standard,” Kasey Serdar writes, the standards of the woman’s body are visibly set through forms of media; furthermore, the pressures are high to achieve these unrealistic looks (1). A plethora of self-esteem issues result from the media’s portrayal of unrealistically thin models. In addition, today’s society places a significant amount of importance on what the eyes perceive, rather than what is on the inside, as the article “Factors That May Contribute to Eating Disorders” states (1). As a result, eating disorders now begin at a younger age, since girls grow up viewing the “ideal body” as skinny; furthermore, images in the media affect the self-esteem of women so immensely that many develop eating disorders after spending time viewing these unrealistic images. Women should not feel the need to cha...
Eating disorders affect a variety of individuals. This is due, in part, to what we believe beauty is. Mass media has an influence on these eating disorders. Girls believe that they should look like the super models that they see on television or in fashion magazines. This encourages them to take dangerous measures that will make them lose weight in unhealthy ways. This is a huge problem in our society and it needs to be addressed. According to Naomi Wolf, “ In her book The beauty myth” beauty today is not, about makeup. It’s the disempowering, backlash of propaganda that suggests that feminism makes women ugly, or forces women to choose between beauty and liberation.” (Wolf 2)
The media tries to make plus sized people self-conscious by saying you are only beautiful if you are skinny. Samantha Romo, a sophomore majoring in journalism who writes bi-weekly columns has done her research which shows that girls today are risking their lives by doing things to make themselves lose weight fast such as anorexia and bulimia. (Romo) Allie Kovar is a student studying health psychology. In her paper written to provide scientific overviews of topics on health and beauty, she has found out that between the years 1988 to 1993 bulimia tripled and studies have shown that 1-5% of girls are now bulimic. (Kovar) (Morris) The way that the media photo shops and edits the models that you see on television, in magazines and everywhere else shows that women are not viewed the same today as they were 20 years ago. Women are human beings being treated like objects trying to be formed into a mold of how they think they should look and what is “beautiful.” (Romo) The media targets teenage girls the most because they know that is who will be the most effected. Anne Morris, a specialist in the department of paediatrics and psychiatry and in the eating disorders program, the hospital for sick children at the university of Toronto, Ontario has found out that gi...
The media can impact people’s lives in many ways, whether it’s fashion, movies, literature, or hobbies. One of the impacts is how women view their bodies. Movie stars and models feel pressured to catch attention and to look good in order to have a good career in their respective field. People tend to judge how someone looks based on their body composition. The result of this “judgment” is that Hollywood is getting skinny. Since models and actresses serve as role models for people, people tend to want to look like them. The result of this seemingly harmless model of behavior is in an increase in eating disorders.