Callie Fino
Felden
English 1
5 March, 2013
How the Media Affects Peoples Aspect of their Body Image.
“It's insecurity that is always chasing you and standing in the way of your dream” (Diesel). Many magazines, advertisements, articles, photos, websites, and commercials advertise how people of the 21st century should look. They advertise an “ideal body image” for many men and women look up to and try and change their selves to make society an “ideal place”. Giving these young people the mentality that you have to look a certain way to be accepted, is unacceptable. Body image and eating disturbances can include eating disorders, but also include severe dissatisfaction with your body, overestimating body size, and chronic thoughts about weight loss. Magazines for both men and women are thought to perpetuate problems with body image. Magazines affecting peoples perspective of an “ideal” body image is sickening, unrealistic, and threatening to our society.
For a start, many advertisements featuring towards the young teens are provoking these teens to try to appease their society to mimic these underweight models and men who are overly muscular, which is unhealthy at the utmost. One study found that 70% of teens agreed that magazines strongly influenced what they thought was the ideal body type. Most teenage girls who have compared their selves to magazine have suffered from more body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. When people are unhappy with their bodies, it can lead to depression, anxiety, or even eating disorders. The market perpetuates frustration and disappointment. The market demonstrates all these diet pills, weight loss programs, and slimming clothing are prevalent in our society.
As a matter of fact, the photos in any magazine have been altered to disguise the “flaws”. They have been altered so fat, wrinkles, pores, and skin flawlessness has more of an eye catching effect to the reader (Center on Media and Child Health; Serdar). It’s giving the reader a “perfect” and unrealistic body appearance that is not for everyone. Even enhancements are used in photos, enhancing the size of breasts, bottoms, smaller waists for women. For men, its huge muscles and six pack abs. Young teens try to “improve” their selves by trying to reach these computer altered looks. It’s implementing that they can look that way too, when realistically it’s not. Everyone’s body is different, not every body type can look the same. Instead these ads should be more positive and show real body types of average people, to send a message to be more comfortable with your own body. Recently, Dove has had campaign using everyday women in their underwear to present that you should be confident and