Media Distortion of Body Image

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Every day there are people criticizing themselves or others on the way they look. Do you know why they do it? It’s because of the media’s distortion of body image. The media’s idea of “real” beauty, such as being the thinnest or having the best skin, are some of the reasons why people of all ages suffer from conditions like bad self esteem, eating disorders, or even depression. Body image is how you perceive yourself. Theres positive and negative body images. People who have positive body images accept and are proud of how they look. Those people tend to be happier with their lives (“Body Image At A Glance” np). People with negative body image don’t see themselves how they truly are (“Body Image At A Glance” np). They feel self-conscious of numerous things about their body and tend to exaggerate how big or small their features may be (“Body Image At A Glance” np). Having a negative body image for a long period of time can affect your mental and physical health (“Body Image At A Glance” np). Some could develop anxiety issues, eating disorders or may even take risks with their sexual health (“Body Image At A Glance” np). Many believe all the beautified ads, that pressure teens into looking “perfect”, are factors behind eating disorders that could lead to kidney, stomach, and heart problems (Nemsechy np). An estimated Twenty-four million suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. The urge to lose weight causes teens to start smoking. Teens with a low self esteem may take risks with drinking alcohol or having sex (“The Issues” np). There are other factors that can spark weight concern in girls. Yes some factors aren’t necessarily bad. A concerned parent who knows what is truly harmful for their kid and ... ... middle of paper ... ... need to pay no attention to harmful ads. All the positive ads, campaigns, and positive people help girls with lower self esteems with all their positiveness but you can help yourself too. One way is to stop picking yourself apart (Myers np). Stop focusing on what you feel like are negative aspects and look at your body as a whole (Myers np). Respect your body. Another way is to remind yourself that most women or men in ads, movies, and tv shows don’t really look like that (Myers np). That is all movie magic crap. Remember health and appearance are two different things. Accept the genes your parents gave you and learn to love them (“Body Image At A Glance” np). Surround yourself with positive influences (“Body Image At A Glance” np). Just remember that you are beautiful in your own way and that you don’t the media or anyone else for that matter tell you you’re not.

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