Women often feel pressure to attain an unrealistic ideal of beauty promoted by the media. This can lead to body image issues and even eating disorders. Advertisements frequently use airbrushed models to make women feel inadequate without their products. Constant exposure to these images from a young age can influence girls' beliefs about their own appearance. Parents and society should promote accepting women of all shapes and sizes.

1. By: Sharoline Galva

2.  Many women dislike or are unhappy with their body image.
 Women are all different ages, shapes, colors, and sizes.
So why do we feel the need to fit a cookie cutter mold of
what we believe is the “ideal” and “perfect” woman?
 Why do we feel the need to change who we are,
and what we look like?
 Is it our friends and families? If so why do they
Think you need to look different?

3.  We want to be treated differently by others.
 Women feel they must change physically in order for others to want to approach or
befriend them
 We want to attract a companion or partner.
 Women often want to change because they believe it will attract a potential
partner.
 We want employment possibilities.
 Women often believe that “attractive” women often get chosen over an
“unattractive” woman for a job even if the “unattractive” woman is better
qualified . Some women have even been fired from a job because of weight gain.

4.  Society at large has always indicated the standards of “beauty”
With the help of the media and cosmetic industries.
 Advertisements make false promises of becoming more
alluring to men, and having more friends to sell products.
 They achieve this by showing images of “beautiful”
Women to make you feel as though this is the ideal
image you must fit, in order to be considered
“attractive”. This then will & can only be achieved
by buying their products.

5.  Advertisements have manipulated society for many years.
 However in the twenty first century media has gone into
overdrive.
 The average American sees 3,000 ads a day. With the majority
being fashion and beauty ads.
 we are constantly bombarded with Ad’s on Billboards, TV,
Magazine. Internet even your own clothing. It’s impossible to go
anywhere without someone trying to sell something to you.

6.  Women portrayed in the media are almost
always airbrushed.
 This creates a false illusion and is an
unattainable “beauty” that not even the
women portrayed actually fit.
 Many women especially young girls are
unaware of this, and how constant exposure
can turn into a belief that this illusion is
reality.
 The cosmetic industries success is because
they make us believe we can never look
good enough without their product/s.

7.  Many girls are exposed to these negative
unrealistic messages at a young age.
 This leads to several disorders and need to
reach an unrealistic image of what they
believe they should look like.
 Barbie is and example of an unrealistic
woman who's proportions are far from the
average woman yet many young girls see
this as a standard they must reach to be
“beautiful”.

8.  Anorexia
Refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of
gaining weight. Often coupled with a distorted self image
 Bulimia
Person binges on food or has regular episodes of over eating and feels a
loss of control. The affected person then vomits to prevent
weight gain.
 These are just two of the many eating disorders that have
horrible side effects to your body such as cardiovascular problems,
lack of menstrual cycle, anemia, kidney dysfunctions, irregular heart rhythm
Even death.
 Eating disorders are caused because of body image
issues.

9.  Seek professional help if an eating disorder has
become out of control.
National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA)
Hotline 1-800-931-2237
 Family and Friends
Always give constructive support
 Parents:
 Teach your children about the effects of the media.
 Help them maintain a healthy body weight and to always be happy with who
they are and what they look like.

10.  Always remember media and the negative
effects it has on women.
 No one has the right to tell you what beauty
is. Everyone is different and that is what
makes each individual so unique and
beautiful.
 Learn
to Love yourself because you are
BEAUTIFUL.

11.  “Everyone talks about diversity, but if
everyone has to fit a certain mold, well,
that’s not wanting diversity. It’s asking
people to change who they really are.”

12.  Doyou think ads like Dove’s real women and
lane Bryant are helping change the way
society views “beauty” in the media?