The Media and Negative Body Image Essays

“People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder,” according to Salma Hayek. Society should have a positive outlook on body image, rather than face a disorder that can change one’s whole life. Negative body image can result from the media, with photoshop and editing, celebrity fad diets, and society’s look at the perfect image. Negative body image can lead to dangerous eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia. It can also take a risk to unhealthy habits, such as smoking, alcohol, and drugs. It is important to stress the effects of body image, because the world still struggles with this today. Society should not be affected by

People need to be informed on the issue that unrealistic beauty standards, set by the society, are harmful and can cause a “schema that combines three fundamental components: the idealization of slenderness; an irrational fear of fat; and a belief that weight is a central determinant of one’s identity” (Lintott 67). Our society promotes a specific body image as being attractive: being thin. It is represented throughout mass media, both in the physical and online worlds. The media exposes society with impractical body types, pushing individuals, especially women, to look like them. Today, negative body image encourages women to engage in disordered eating and obsessive behaviors in order to fit a certain impractical standard of beauty. In fact, according to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), 20 million females will “suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life” (Lintott 68). We contribute so much time striving to look like what society wants us to resemble, that we begin to see others and ourselves as what is presented physically rather than who a person is. Some individuals of the general public are influenced by the media to believe that this thin ideal is the norm and that the media is not causing any harm. However, this thin ideal is detrimental and is the main reason for the increase in the development and encouragement in eating disorders, body dissatisfaction in women and a rise in the number of pro-anorexia websites.

There are no questions to whether the media has influenced the self-consciousness people have on their body or not. Whether it is the front of a magazine cover or in a film or television show, the selection of models or actors are primarily thin or fit leading readers and viewers to worry or want to change the way their body looks. Body image is the way one sees oneself and imagine how one looks. Having a positive body image means that most of the time someone sees themselves accurately, and feels comfortable in their body; negative body image, what the media exemplifies for the majority of the time, is just the opposite. The media uses unrealistic standards of beauty and bodily perfection to drive ordinary people to be dissatisfied with their body image which can result in the search to obtain these unreachable goals.

Bulimia has many symptoms. Bulimics have a preoccupation with food and are usually secretive about their addiction to food. A bulimic’s self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight. Bulimics suffer from internal bleeding, including gastric ulcers due to trauma from forceful vomiting. Bulimics have tooth and gum decay caused by stomach acids. They also have swollen salivary glands, and broken blood vessels in their eyes, as a result of self-induced vomiting. Bulimics are typically high achievers.

The media has distorted people’s views on the way they look at their own body image. The media has shown what their ideal body type is, while leaving people to feel as if the average weight is not good enough. (Cardosi, 2006) We live in a world where people feel as if having zero body fat is the idea body type to have. Pictures of models for clothing stores, bathing suits, lingerie etc. all exhibit to this to be true. Body image is perceived to be negatively influenced by the media and the way that the media displays their models. Parents, teachers, adolescence and even children all find themselves to be comparing themselves based on what the media exposes. (Levine & Murnen, 2009)

Images of female bodies are everywhere. Women, and their bodies, sell everything from food to cars. Women's magazines are full of articles urging women to fit a certain mold. While standing in a grocery store line you can see all different magazines promoting fashion, weight loss, and the latest diet. Although the magazines differ, they all seemingly convey the same idea: if you have the perfect body image you can have it all…the perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career. The media, whether TV, print, or Internet advertising, seems to play a huge role in influencing women of all ages; from adolescence and teens, to women in their twenties and thirties, as well as

"Beauty is not what you see on the outside, it's what lies within." This is what we are taught throughout our childhood. However, by the time a person is in their teens, they have seen thousands of advertisements in the media, which stress the "perfect image." These advertisements send a message that this is how women are "supposed" to look. When women see these advertisements, many times they feel ashamed they do not look the way that the models do. But, should women feel like this? Most advertisements are not even directed toward beauty products. For instance, there are many commercials on television that focus on skinny, big-breasted, gorgeous women. However, the product being sold has nothing to do with the women themselves. If the

The body is a powerful tool - it shows us who we are and who we want to be. Images of the body are just as powerful. The media uses bodies to sell anything from cars to food. While this media tool is very successful, it has a downside in today’s world, and is often very negative toward peoples bodies. Simply stand in a queue at a shopping centre and you will find yourself surrounded by magazines advertising weight loss plans, fashion, and the best diet to take. The media uses this tool to it’s advantage - the promise of a good life lies with those who have a great body. If you are skinny, tall, and have perfect skin, you’re guaranteed to have a good career, a successful marriage, perfect kids, and the best furniture. Often times, people

According to recent research, tremendous exposure to media has a negative impact on consumers and their health, as well as their body image. The ideal body image that is seen by today’s society is tall, thin, muscular, and fit. It is constantly advertised in various forms of media including, televisions, magazines, internet, and smartphone devices, which can make some people feel insecure about appearance and health. The constant reinforcement of the ideal body image throughout the media negatively impacts society through self-esteem, rise of self-enhancements, and health. There are many different factors that play a role in obtaining the ideal body image that meets the society’s norm.

Bulimia is a disorder centered around an individual’s obsession with food and weight. This obsession involves eating large quantities of food, feeling guilty about the food consumption, and taking drastic measures to prevent caloric/fat absorption. Measures vary with each individual and include one or all of the following: forced vomiting, abuse of laxatives or diuretics, or excessive exercise. This disease affects one to three percent of adolescent and young women in the United States, and bulimic behaviors are displayed by ten to twenty percent of adolescent and young women in the United States (http://dcs.engr.widener.edu/galla/gal la.htm).

The worst part is that people might not even know that they have bulimia or anorexia but sometimes it could be noticeable by their abnormal behaviors. For example bulimic people are those who are stress, emotional, depressed, have anxiety, fatigue etc. they could make poor decision that could affect and harm their health or even put their life at risk such as purging all the time which could cause sore or swollen throat, stomach pain, blood during vomiting due to irritation of the esophagus, heartburns, dry skin, red eyes that’s from forcing the vomiting and much more. Most importantly bulimic people may also have problems in the oral cavity which cause them their teeth to be sensitive to hot and cold, sometimes have open bites, dry mouth because the saliva glands could be affected from

If someone shows signs of depression or extreme mood swings they could also have bulimia. Bulimics can suffer from anxiety and substance abuse. Furthermore, the bulimic person is contradictory, illogical, and irrational when it comes to picking foods to eat. Bulimics feel powerless to stop eating. They only stop once they are too full to eat anymore.

Anorexia nervosa and its associated syndrome, bulimia is an extremely dangerous problem that is becoming more widespread. The chief symptoms are self-induced starvation and/or binge eating

Bulimia and anorexia is a growing epidemic in America. Bulimia and Anorexia can start at any age, but is most common between the ages of 11-17 years old. Of all the individuals that experience this illness only 50% of all of them are ever cured, and another 6% that suffer from this horrible illness will experience death. This illness has become very deadly to our young adults.

Bulimia Nervosa is a very chronic eating disorder that can also be life threating. According to J.D outlettes, who is a respected educator, advocate, as well as a mother who has a daughter who is a recovering Anorexic. She states on Mirrormirror.org, “Bulimia statistics tell us that the lifetime prevalence of bulimia nervosa in the United States is 1.5%in women and0.5% in men. This translates to approximate 4.7 million females and 1.5 million males who will have their lives threatened by this potentially deadly disorder.” Bulimia can potentially be life threatening because a person who is suffering will excessively eat in one sitting( which is commonly known as binging)and then will force themselves to throw up(which is commonly known as purging) or take products that will make them have fast or constant bowel movements or in some cases they also try excessive exercising. With this being the case, it can cause a person to get very physically ill. The main reason is because, they are addicted or self-medicating themselves because they have emotional issues that are not solved and use