Erin TaitMedia and Body Image

“You are what you are”

Body ImageHow a person feels about the way they lookNot based on factLearned from your surroundingsChanges as you grow upBiological, psychological, and social influences

MediaTelevision & moviesShows the types of bodies that are “acceptable” and which ones aren’tMagazinesArticles that tell you how to “lose weight fast!” or “look years younger!” imply you should look a certain wayAdvertisements & commercialsAttracts attention to their products by using thin women and muscular menImages are edited to show unrealistic bodies

Onslaughtlink

RealityBody features Props, lighting, angles, computer techniquesShapes and sizes Altered Unwanted features Edited outBody features from photos of different people Combined to make a “perfect” imageBody doubles Common in filmsPhotos can be completely computer-generated

BeforeAfterPhotoshoplink

Evolutionlink

ConsequencesUnhealthy dietOver-exercisingUsing drugs (steroids, cocaine, diet pills, cigarettes, etc)Cosmetic procedure complicationsEating disordersDepression and other mental health problemsLow self-esteem

Women“A thin body is a measure of a woman’s worth”The “ideal woman” = Caucasian, big chest, small waist, lean hips, no blemishes, no stretch marks, no wrinklesNot meeting the ideal = use exercise, diet, plastic surgery, and expensive makeup or creams to reach the idealInsecure woman are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids“As a teenager, I was obsessed with achieving the white girl look: slim hips, perky breasts, flat stomach. I hated that I didn’t look like white models in my magazines.”

Then – 1890’s:Now – 2000’s: The Ideal Bodylinklink

Modern-day modelHolocaust victimComparisonlink

Did you know?Diet industry makes $40-100 billion (US) per year1 out of 4 college-aged woman use unhealthy methods of weight control80% of women are dissatisfied with their appearanceThe average woman is 5’4 and 140 poundsThe average model is 5’11 and 117 poundsA woman spends 2.5 years of her life on her hairA person sees 400-600 advertisements per day

Supermodels are so famous because they are not typical. Their proportions cannot be imitated with natural means.link

ChildrenInfants recognize themselves in mirrors at 2 yearsFemales begin to dislike their body a few years laterBoys are less critical of their appearanceIn a study, normal-weight girls were more concerned than obese boysBoys go through a short phase of dissatisfactionPhysical changes with puberty (taller, more muscular) bring them closer to the masculine idealFor girls, puberty makes things worseIncrease in weight and body fat

McDonald’slink

Did you know?Weight control measures are being taken by girls as young as 5 or 650-70% of normal weight girls think they’re overweightAttractiveness and thinness were associated with goodness in over 100 female characters in 23 Walt Disney filmsMain focuses of concern for men are height, stomachs, chests , muscle mass, and hair loss

Barbie is Impossible99% of adolescent girls have at least one Barbie“Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions, for example, found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her body would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel. A real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea and eventually die from malnutrition.”123

The End