Essays On Body Image

Argumentative Essay On Body Image
Going back through time the topic of body image was not as . Being a size three or even five was
great back in the 1980's. There wasn't one specific body figure that women were expected or just
"had" to be. Women have changed their perspectives throughout history. Both males and females
have the same insecurities about their body, but women have a tendency to hold it off longer.
The change of women viewing their body differently now involves a portion of the media. Of
course the media is going to be involved with the presentation of a woman's body figure. The
internet portrays"the ideal image" of the body as being slim and skinny. Nutritionists wondered
"whether a slow metabolism may be to blame"(Reinagel). The media illustrates runway models
and famous celebrities that have a "perfect body" image. All women have different ideals of their
body. Let's make this certain that everybody has insecurities, whether it's being fat, skinny or
chunky there will always be at least one thing people do not like about their image. A poll was
lead "80% of them said they walk around feeling somewhat dissatisfied with their bodies half of
the time"(Eden). Society is heavily influenced in body image. We see it all around us on
television, newspapers, magazines and online. The internet is filled with images on how we should
strive to look like. It's hard to eat McDonald's chicken nuggets and look like Gigi Hadid. Why
doesn't the media represent being curvy good? Why does
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Effect of the Media on Body Image Essay
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) The dissatisfaction of one's body type...show more content...
The results of this study indicated a low effect size for all studies. The participants who were
shown pictures in the media of thin models tended to think there was something wrong with their
body weight. Other participants who viewed models who were overweight tended to have a
positive outlook on their body image. Another study that was conducted by Han, 2003 looked at
female Korean college students and the way in which media exposure affected the way they
perceive body image. This experiment was conducted by using 42 college female college students
who were exposed to images of thin models in magazine ads. After viewing the images for about 5
minutes the women were then asked to fill out a questionnaire. This questionnaire was built to see
their indication on body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance based upon the pictures that were
shown. Then an upward comparison was used to see whether they agreed or disagreed with the
images of the models shown. As these results stated the females that were exposed to the pictures of
the thin models showed a higher level of upward comparison then those who were not shown the
models. Participants in the experimental group also perceived the thin models to be more practical
than those who were participants of the control group. A second part of this experiment used 75
female college

Body Image is getting worse and worse as we get older. It hasn't changed for the better and it's
turning into a very dangerous thing. Suicide rates are going up, eating disorder rates are going
up, bad self image rates are going up, when is it going to end? If we keep going how we are
going, it won't ever. It will continue to get worse until there isn't anything to stop it anymore. It
doesn't even seem like anyone cares about it at all or it's not a big concern to the world. It's almost
like one of those things everyone knows is a problem, but doesn't ever speak of it. I'm done with
the silence, we all know this isn't right and we need to put an end to it.
What is the real need to have to have unhealthy looking girls on the cover of everything? There isn't,
no reasons that are important anyway. I know that some people don't get it, they don't get the
problem with it, they don't put the two and two together that the reason that all of those rates are
going up, are a result to the things that are exposed with body image. The magazines, the internet, the
famous celebrities, the actors on television, the everything. The facts about Media Influence on
Body Image: 69% of girls in 5th – 12th grades reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea
of a perfect body shape – National Association ofAnorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
Following the viewing of images of female fashion models, seven out of ten women felt more
depressed and angrier than prior to viewing the

Persuasive Essay On Body Image
We have grown up around all these ideas of being skinny and if you're not the skinny people
expect you to be then you're considered fat. People obsess over having a perfect body image so
much that they will go as far as hurting their bodies. Why is it so hard for a girl to love herself?
People are very visual creatures. We look, we judge, and we make assumptions. Women should be
able to look a certain way and love themselves for how they look and not have to worry about
being made fun of because they may not be the tiniest or they may be a little skinnier than normal.
Are the pictures that we see of women and their bodies reachable? We see images of models with
perfect bodies plastered everywhere. We see them on tv, magazines, walking through the mall, and
movies. People see these and make assumptions. The images we see are making our expectations of
the female body skyrocket but in reality these expectations are most likely unreachable. I think
banning body–shaming ads could resolve many of the problems that we see today. Improbable
standards of a woman's body hurt the mind and health of girls. Girls will never fully be able to
accept their bodies because we are constantly seeing demeaning images. The publishers of these ad's
need to consider reevaluating them and the messages that they are portraying. We need to remember
the sole purpose of advertisements. Advertisements are meant to boost a brand or attract interest not
to annihilate one's confidence and self esteem.

Body Image Analysis Essay
I chose my Facebook and Twitter accounts for this analysis. I chose these because these are primary
accounts many employers look at and both of those accounts are also integrated with my Instagram
account that host all my photos. My choice of clothing in most photos show me in plain colored
t–shirts with no real logos most of the time if I am not wearing a plain colored t–shirt I'm wearing a
shirt from a 90's band of some kind (usually Oasis or REM). In terms of style I wear simple
clothing nothing flashy at all however I prefer to look somewhat professional at times so many
photos show me wearing my blazer to help me stand out a bit. All my photos show myself being
well groomed at all times. Body language in most of my photos show me standing up straight
rarely is there a photo of me sitting down. Most photos do not show me in full view most are
actually profile shots from the waist or shoulders up. Facial expressions range from a lot of different
emotions. Most photos show me smiling however some show me with very "animated" facial
expressions for the sake of humor. This can be a good sign and show employers my very "animated"
personality. A lot of people I asked who knew me personally described me as someone who is
somewhat "animated". There are no real photos of me depressed on my Facebook or Twitter feed
this I believe is...show more content...
Overall I would say the only times my true opinions come out are with politics and sports. Usually
my twitter is the best source for if you want to see my opinions about sports and then Facebook is
the best place to find my opinions about politics. These opinions I openly display on social media
however are not unprofessional in anyway at least in my minds eyes. However, if I had to say
there were a time to capture my true self and open opinions it would be when I live tweet during
sports or when I send out facebook status's about

Under society's customs for decades, young women have found themselves immersed in the
pressure and anticipation to have exemplary bodies. Nearly every young woman prefers to be slim,
have a perfectly shaped body, that is beautified by applying pounds of makeup to their face but does
not appear ridiculously overdone. Who's responsible for these measures imposed on young women?
When a young girl picks up the model on the cover of Vogue being called flawless, naturally it's easy
for her to then aspire to be a real–life imitation of the that model. These companies produce
magazine covers shown with girls' images daily. As if keeping the perfect body wasn't hard enough,
our culture also forces girls into the forever expanding world of composition, however, body image is
a surging subject for young girls. Advertisements and pictures of lean female models are all over.
Young women are measured and perplexed by their physical appearances with attire intended to raise
their physical structures; social media, magazines, the society, marketing campaigns, advertisements,
and the fashion gurus add to a strand of excellence.
The fashion industry is a major object of body image issues, as they believe clothes look better on
more than average height and svelte women. Established on a survey partaken by 13 to 17–year–old
in the United States, 90% felt intimidated by trends and media to be sleek, with more than 60%
routinely evaluated themselves to supermodels, whilst 46% will endeavor to

Essay On Body Image And Self Esteem
Positive body image and self–esteem are dropping in young girls, even girls as young as 7. These
girls are worried about how they look, from their hair, their clothes, and even make up. Most girls
self–esteem starts dropping around age 12, but we can combat this self–esteem drop by showing
different models in the media. Whether it's a billboard or a magazine models of different race,
background, ability and body size, on top of many other things can help boost body image and
self–esteem. I strongly believe that we should be showing women and especially young girls people
like them in the media. Not only tall, thin, people who not many people can relate to. Some might
say girls should simply understand that not all people are models and...show more content...
An ad campaign in NYC (called NYC girls project) is aimed towards young girls ages seven to
twelve in hopes that these positive ads will increase girls self–perception. The girls in these ads are
of all different sizes and races, and are seen playing sports and some are even in wheelchairs, thus
including many groups of people. One advertisement has the phrase "I'm a girl. I'm funny, playful,
daring, strong, curious, smart, brave, healthy, friendly and caring, I'm beautiful the way I am,"
across the front, and features a 12 year old girl from the Bronx. This ad is one of many showing the
many things that these young girls are, and helps boost positive self–esteem. Furthermore, one
article by Mikaela Benny at Odyssey states, "Girls are expected to be perfect, but when everyone's
definition of perfect is different, it makes it seem impossible." This statement brings a lot of
attention to what different people's ideas of "perfect" are when it comes to women's bodies, and
some of these ideals could potentially make girls go to extreme lengths to appease

In this world that we are, we especially women always want to do our best to have a good body
image. Some of the information that are gotten from the social media like
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so many others. Most of the information about how to improve
our body image can be seen or heard from electronic media like television, radio, and other form of
media like magazines, newspaper. Nearly all watch television, where advertisements of women with
unrealistically thin bodies are seen frequently (Nash
64). For example, sending information on YouTube about how ladies should use waist trainers,
corsets, cinchers, shapers, trimmers, and how ladies will lose weight on their waist and lose
weight on their waist and lose stomach fat will make the butts bigger and for a hour glass shape.
The information will go further to say that this will make their man love them more and not to meet
another lady if they have a thin body. Some social media also promote women and even men to buy
weight loss pills to make them look more attractive knowing full well that they have side effects.
Eating disorders are illnesses that can cause life threatening effects in both females and males A
perfect example is the controversial issue about very skinny models that look

Positive Body Image Essay
Redefining the Definition of a "***Flawless" Body In today's day and age positive body image is
an important factor to maintain, not only for the physical wellbeing of a person but also because
it can determine the mental state and wellbeing of a person. Primarily us women are more subject
to maintain and acquiring a "body" that can be acceptable in society. Women are subjected to
social injustice on a daily basis about their bodies and what their ideal body should be. Such an
"ideal" body can include almost impossible proportions and weight goals. Ideal body proportions,
weight and features are demonstrated through media. The desire of an ideal body distorts positive
body image and creates a desire to change, especially among young...show more content...
The pressure of to achieve happiness and acceptance through being skinny is enforced through
Media and business advertisements all over the world. This can manipulate women to take extreme
measures which can lead to eating disorders. A negative body image can lead young woman to
extremes. As a result, self–harm, eating disorders and low self–esteem arises. The actions which
young woman take to change and become thinner can lead to diseases and mental disorders.
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 24
million people are affected by eating disorders, 10 million of which are women. About 50% of
people with eating disorders "meet the criteria for depression" (Eating Disorder Statistics).
Pilisuk says that "There is also a marketed reality of goods, sales pressures, or demands for
competitive success to fill the void of emptiness in people's lives..." (1). Businesses and Media do
not only advertise the "ideal body" but also create products and services to "help" women achieve
these ideal proportions and weight. The "void" here that Pilisuk mentions is the desire to be
wanted by changing ourselves, or acquiring happiness through an ideal body. Businesses benefit
over this feeling of insecurity and desire by creating diet pills and products that are advertised and
promised to help us acquire this change in our bodies. Whether it be diet pills, paid programs that
help us "lose those extra pounds", or

I have always been very obsessed with body image. When I was young, baseball was my sport.
Soon after, I joined the swim team. During these years I've never looked the way that pleased me.
When the age of fourteen came around, I decided to join the gym with a personal trainer. At this
time, being overweight and unhappy. Never did I think the gym would mean so much to me in the
future. Just before the age of sixteen, bodybuilding made a drastic impression on me. The art of
building a well symmetrical body. Everything about this sport fascinated me because it gave a
chance to create a new me. My journey started once I stepped foot in the gym. Travis, my trainer,
greeted me with excitement. Weighing close to 200 pounds, I knew change

Body image is a person's perception of the aesthetics or sexual attractiveness of their own body.
For the longest time, people have been worrying about the way they look, it's a feeling or
occupation we were all born with. Whether it's male or female both genders have insecurities about
themselves. Along with the fears of oneself, people also have to worry about the opinions of others.
Today's society is all about the media and lately, people have been feeling really brave and aren't
scared to tell people their opinions. You would think that women would be supporting each other and
complementing one another, but instead they body shame each other and unfortunately, it's the same
thing with men. Having this said what problems do men and women face throughout their life
because due to body image issues? Self–esteem plays a big part of body image. People have to feel
good about themselves and be comfortable in their own skin to be happy. In today's world, it feels
almost impossible to be happy, this generation is all about the media which makes having
self–esteem 10x harder. Millions of pictures are posted of expectations of how women should look.
In an article written by Pavica Sheldon, she states that "The average American woman is 5'4 and 140
pounds, whereas the average female model portrayed in the media is 5'11 and 120 pounds".
Women are placed into a box telling them they have to look a certain way and if they don't they're
simply not good enough. Besides being put into a category women numerously get called nasty
names like slut or whore if they show too much. Piggy and fatty if they're overweight. Or "stick"
if she's too skinny. Nothing is ever good enough is what it feels like. For example, Kylie Jenner, if
you grew up watching "Keeping up with the Kardashians" you know how she looked before all the
plastic surgery she got done, she now looks completely different. An account wrote, "What are they
giving Kylie?" and someone quoted the tweet and said plastic. So even if women try to fix their
imperfections they still get shamed down for it by calling them fake.
When you think of body image and dieting you normally think of girls but boys have the same
problem too. According to "Body Image for Boys"

Women And Body Image Essay
Today, body image is a common issue even in males. Little do people know men are prone to
body issues just like women. The perfect body is a ripped muscular man that has very little body
fat allowing for washboard abs. So having this idea of the perfect body is starting to consume how
Americans think and feel about themselves. In America, just like women, men also suffer from body
image issues due to societal pressures including the influence of the media, limited knowledge of
men suffering from eating disorders, and society assuming males do not care about their physical
appearance.
Unrealistic and unhealthy body images are presented to men through media, which shapes how they
perceive themselves. In media both men and women are being sexually...show more content...
It has recently become a relevant topic: "male body image dissatisfaction has tripled in the last 25
years from 15% to 45%" (Larsen). Before then, body image issues in men were not seen as
problematic since they were so low. In the last 25 years it has become a bigger issue that needs to be
addressed. According to "The man behind the mask: male body image dissatisfaction", "It's only
one of many areas in men's health that really needs attention" (Gregor). It makes it harder for
those suffering from body image issues to seek help due to the little attention it gets. In a recent
study in Psychology of Men & Masculinity "48% of men were dissatisfied with their weight" and
"16% are so uncomfortable with their bodies that they avoid wearing a swimming suit" (103). It
is known women struggle with body image issues, but most do not see that men struggle with
their images too. David Frederick stated that "we know so many women are dissatisfied, so it
kind of gets lost that there's also a lot of men who are dissatisfied" (qtd. "In Many Men Have
Body Image Issues, Too"). The dissatisfaction in one's body can be an issue despite whether one is
a male or a female. Men should not be suffering in silence and afraid to get help because Americans
have stigmatized body image issues as a feminine

Definition Essay: Defining Body Image
Defining Body Image
For many, body image is simply the mental perception one has of their physical self. Such a
definition is not incorrect, but it fails to describe the other aspects that are integral to understanding
body image. Rather than being strictly perceptual, researchers acknowledge that body image also
involves affective, cognitive, and behavioral components (CITE).
As its name implies, the perceptual aspect of body image is the way one envisions his or herself.
It is what one sees when he or she looks in the mirror as well as the mental representation he or
she has of their physical self. For some people, there is a disconnect between how they see their
body and what they actually look like. For example, a person might perceive them self to be
overweight when in fact he or she is underweight. Such a disconnect often leads to negative
sentiments concerning one's appearance.
The affective component of body image can be described as the feelings one...show more content...
In fact, a small but growing percentage of the media have made strides in positively influencing
their consumers. For example, popular magazines such as Maxim and Sports Illustrated have
featured average and plus sized models on their covers (Diedrichs & Lee, 2010). In addition, there
is a recent trend of campaigns focused on promoting an image of beauty beyond the prototypical
media figures. Research regarding such campaigns has proven to be successful in building a positive
image. In fact, a study conducted by researchers in the United Kingdom found that frequent exposure
to media containing average–sized models related to lower levels of body–focused anxiety amongst
its participants (Hobza et al., 2007). These participants also reported higher levels of body
satisfaction than those exposed to typical

It's true that we shouldn't judge people off their physical appearances, but it's just in our human
nature to do it. Whether it's a stranger on the street or a close family member, we are always
judging them from our first glance at them. In this day and age, where more than half of the
population uses some type of media, we can see an increase in the importance of body image. Body
image is how a person perceives their own body. It can be perceived positively or negatively through
many factors some of which are, social factors, cultural factors, and a person's own experiences.
Gender and race play roles in the way body image is perceived as well. Even if a person feels
confident with their body image, society believes that there is always...show more content...
It is seen more in females compared to males, but studies have shown that both genders can be
equally hurt by social media. This doesn't mean that social media directly impacts body image, but
that there's a strong correlation between the two. Another type of media is the magazine. It is a little
bit outdated in these times, but magazines have contributed in shaping body image. Magazine covers
usually have these thin–photoshopped women and lean muscular men promoting beauty products
or exercise plans. They reel you in with bolded words saying "Get Shredded in a Few Days!", or
"5 Must Have Beauty Products". There is a sense of control and power when we can manipulate
our bodies. An example is dieting, of course all these athletes and models like to talk about their
bodies and diets, but we are different from them. They have specific meal plans to accommodate
their body. Wrong dieting can cause eating disorders and can be extremely harmful to our bodies.
We fall into the trap of eating less to be skinnier and at the same time, society is praising us for
wanting to look skinny. With more differences between us and these ideals, the more we become
insecure and critical of our body image. Even though many companies promote the skinny, toned
models, there are other growing companies that are starting to promote different body shapes and
sizes. An example is a clothing brand called "Dear Kate", they did their own underwear campaign
countering Victoria Secret's "the perfect

Body Image Essay
When navigating to the official website of Self, one of today's leading women's magazines, I was
not surprised to immediately stumble upon a photograph of two slender women, in skimpy shorts
and sports bras, exercising on the beach. "Flat belly Secrets" was the headline under the image,
along with the subtopics "Magic Moves that Work Your Whole Core," "Superfoods for a Sexy
Stomach," and "4 Ab Mistakes Everyone Makes." It is no secret that modern American culture gives
great importance to body image, namely to having a "perfect" physique, although a vast majority of
the population is far from attaining said physique. I struggled for years to "make peace" with my
own body and obtain a positive body image, hence why I have chosen to...show more content...
The internalization of the "thin ideal" denotes a key cause of such dissatisfaction (Dittmar).
Thin–ideal internalization is the degree to which a person will consciously accept a social definition
of beauty, and in turn take action to parallel these values (Thompson and Stice). The mass media is
viewed by countless body image experts as a "particularly potent and pervasive" root of thin–ideal
internalization because of the notoriously unattainable idea of perfection it portrays (Boone et al.).
Young girls and women are plagued every day by images of pin–thin, underweight women,
not–so–subtle implications of the standard of attractiveness that they feel expected to meet, and are
made to feel inadequate when they inevitably fail. From Sterk's article of how she went about
doing her fieldwork on prostitution, I realized that the interview process is lengthier than I
originally thought. Though my research does not require me to establish a close relationship with
my interviewees as much as Sterk's did (my topic isn't nearly as sensitive and I am not doing
fieldwork as part of my profession), I learned that in order to obtain the most honest answers, I must
take time to engage in conversation, not jump straight to questions relevant to my report. Obviously
I knew I had to advance towards people in a nonjudgemental manner, avoiding providing my own
opinions, but I

Literature Review : Body Image
Literature Review: Body Image
"Act 2: Extending Theory on Social Media and Body Concerns" shows the pattern and connection
between social media and body image. People that are already affected by vulnerable factors, such as
low self–esteem, depression, perfectionism and the thought that appearance is essential to
self–worth, seek the gratifications that come from using social media. For example, if someone is
feeling unattractive, but a picture they posted online is getting liked and commented on positively, it
raises their self–esteem for that moment. These people frequently use social media such as
Facebook, Instagram, thinspiration blogs, and pro eating disorder websites that can further put
importance on social comparisons, self–identification through appearance and online normative
influences. These can lead to effects such as increases in body dissatisfaction which can then lead to
eating disorders, lower self–esteem, and depression. In this way the effects between social media and
body image can come full circle. (Perlof)
In the article "Social Media and Body Image Concerns: Current Research and Future Directions" it is
shown that studies have proven the connection between social media usage, especially Facebook,
and increased body image concerns, particularly in young people. "Social media usage is
consistently and positively associated with negative body image." Further studies show that the
association between these two factors increase over time. Another

Essay on Body Image
Body Image
"Just Be" is a familiar slogan to the current American culture. It is the slogan of a well–known
designer, Calvin Klein, who, in his advertisements, supposedly promotes individuality and
uniqueness. Yet, Calvin Klein, along with all known designers, does not have overweight or
unattractive people on his billboard ads, on his runways, in his magazine pictures or on his television
commercials. Moreover, the movie, music and the mass media corroborate with the fashion industry
in setting and advertising a certain standards for a physical ideal of a human body. Such propaganda
promotes the public into depriving themselves of needed nutrition and generates eating disorders
within people in order to fit the...show more content...
Therefore, the commendation of such look and shape commercializes unhealthy body image and
procreates eating disorders. Unfortunately, at present the commercialism of a perfect body is
encountered by almost everyone on everyday basis. The public is bombarded daily with images
of glamorously thin women in commercials, on billboards, in movies in magazines and
etc?According to Melanie Katzman, a consultant psychologist from New York, the media has
actively defined the thin ideal as success and treats the body as a commodity. (Rhona MacDonald,
2001) It is evident that the persistent advocating of the media and the society produced a constant
pursuit of thinness, which became a new religion. A study conducted by Harvard researchers has
revealed the effect of media and magazines on adolescent girls in high schools. The children were
exposed to fashion magazines and television commercials, and a while after were given self–rating
surveys. The study found that sixty–nine percent of the girls said that magazine pictures 3 influenced
their version of the ideal body shape; forty–seven said that they wanted to lose weight because of
magazine pictures. Girls who read fashion magazines frequently were two to three times more likely

Social Media And Body Image Essay
There is no denying that social media: Instagram and Tumblr, has a significant influence on all of
us. The current effects of social media have increased dramatically among young women aged
between 15 and 25. As stated in the study by (Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008) that the high exposure to
social media portraying the thin–ideal body may be linked to body image disturbance in young
women. They used a meta–analysis examined experimental and correlation studies testing the links
between media exposure to young women's body dissatisfaction and the unconscious behavior
towards having a thin ideal body. The results by (Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008) support the claim that
high exposure to social media images depicting the thin–ideal body is related to...show more
content...
The experimental investigation held by (Yamamiya, 2005–2008) observed 123 young college
women's behaviors before and after the exposure to these images. The results of the research
indicated that relative to a control group, the exposure to thin and beautiful media images negatively
influenced the state body image of participants with high internalization levels. In the study, Sex
Roles by (Harper & Tiggemann, 2008), objectification theory by (Fredrickson & Roberts,
Psychology of Women Quarterly, 1997) emphasizes that experiences of sexual objectification
socialize women to engage in self–objectification. The study (Harper & Tiggemann, 2008) used an
experimental investigation to examine the effects of media images on self–objectification of women.
A total number of 90 Australianfemale undergraduates aged from 18 to 35 were randomly chosen to
view images of a thin–ideal woman. Participants are reported with greater state self–objectification,
weight–related appearance anxiety, negative mood and body dissatisfaction. The results demonstrate
that self–objectification can be stimulated in women without direct focusing attention on their own

Body Image In The Media
The issue of distorting body image in the media and its effects on people is not a new concept to
modern time. There is a long history of body image's powerful place in society because of people's
impressions of each other based on body image. Research has been done on the effects and
outcomes of this issue. Recently, consumers have fought with the media to try and achieve a safer
way to spread information and let these media outlets be successful without having severe impacts
on adolescents especially, among other age groups. The general ethical principle that the
stakeholders use in this fight is similar to utilitarianism, because each stakeholder believes they are
bringing the greatest good to the greatest number of people. The stakeholders...show more content...
The media group that retouches images skews the "normal" body image of people through many of
its outlets, including models in advertising and magazines, and actors in TV and movie productions.
"The average model portrayed in the media is approximately 5'11" and 120 pounds. By contrast, the
average American woman is 5'4" and 140 pounds" (Holmstrom, 2004). This statistic shows how the
media manipulates consumers into believing that because they are not what the average model looks
like, they are not living up to a certain standard which implies that they need to look like that to be
beautiful. Another research fact that shows a similar concept is that, "In the United States, 94% of
female characters in television programs are thinner than the average American woman, with whom
the media frequently associate happiness, desirability, and success in life" (Yamamiya et al., 2005).
This association of female thinness and happiness, desirability and success makes consumers believe
they must achieve this unrealistic thinness to achieve more ultimate goals and fulfillment in life.
"The media also explicitly instruct how to attain thin bodies by dieting, exercising, and
body–contouring surgery, encouraging female consumers to believe that they can and should be
thin" (Yamamiya et al., 2005). This idealization of thinness in the media is seen so much, and is
extremely harmful to women's self confidence and is often associated with body image
dissatisfaction, which can be a precursor to social anxiety, depression, eating disturbances, and poor
self–esteem (Yamamiya et al.,

Young dancers and their bodies is a topic rarely out of the news right now. Those involved in the art
form and the public have argued whether ballet has pushed the ideal "ballet body" stereotype to such
an extreme that the ballet community is full of insecure, depressed and eating disorder ridden girls.
The ballet school environment has been called a weight–obsessed subculture and a breeding ground
for eating disorders. Body image is a major issue for young ballet dancers with potentially
life–damaging consequences because of the distorted idea of body image instilled in them at such
a young age. The main cause of poor body image in young dancers is the perceived idea that one
must have the perfect ballet body. Body image issues can deeply...show more content...
This body type is extremely thin and tall with long slender arms and legs, small hips and little to
no breasts. This body type has been the ideal since the 1970s, when choreographer and mentor
George Balanchine was extremely popular in the ballet world. Ballet dancer Gelsey Kirkland
was mentored by George Balanchine, and she recalls in her book that he would often stop class
to inspect his dancer's bodies. "With his knuckles, he thumped on my sternum and down my rib
cage, clucking his tongue, remarking, 'Must see the bones.' He did not merely say, 'Eat less.' He
said repeatedly, 'Eat nothing'". She also states that at the time, she was already extremely
underweight. Even today, if a dancer's body does not fit the characteristics of the "Balanchine"
body type they are pressured not only from themselves but from their peers, teachers and sometimes
even parents to restrain from eating. As if the pressures to have a certain body type weren't enough,
every day students are wearing leotards and tights and looking at their peers in the same clothes and
comparing every little thing about each others bodies. This is far from normal. The whole purpose of
dance is to be self–critical and to be constantly pushing and striving to be better, but usually this
does not produce positive results when applied to body image. If being underweight is constantly
linked with praise and selection, it will always

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