Rachael Warner

Mr. Weinstein

English 11AP

The Effects of the Media on Body Image

When you look at this image what do you see? Do

you see a happy, confident, beautiful, international pop

star? Or do you see an emotionally unstable young

woman who would cry herself to sleep every night for

years? Demi Lovato has been fighting her inner demons

since she was “three years old in a diaper and running

[her] hand over [her] stomach” (Lovato). Because of

her history of eating disorders and physical insecurities,

Lovato has encountered issues of anorexia, bulimia, and

self-mutilation during her short lifetime – just like millions of teenagers every year. Such

diseases tend to manifest themselves due to constant exposure to the media’s unrealistic

ideals of beauty. Many teenagers suffer from negative body image and body

dissatisfaction, which is strongly influenced by television shows, commercials,

magazines, and other media. This is evident in the prevalence of self-harming and eating

disorders among teens. Although some prominent leaders in our culture, such as Lovato,

have made an impact by advocating for change, more should be done to further prevent

distorted body image.

Demi Lovato Cover Photo, Teen Vogue October 2012, TeenVogue.com

Warner 1

What defines beauty? In today’s society being beautiful is almost always

synonymous with being skinny. In television, magazines, and print and commercial

advertisements this “thinness” ideal is promoted and portrayed as a norm. Over the last

fifty years, both the idea and ideal of beauty have shifted from being viewed as

unachievable, exclusive to Hollywood insiders, to becoming an attainable goal for

women of all sizes and ages (Malkan 142). Women are now pressured to measure up to

the expected beauty standards as posed by the media. This “perfect” ideal doesn’t even

exist; “one hundred percent of fashion photos are retouched,” said Brad Adams, a New

York City photographer whose retouching service works with advertising agencies

(Mehta).

As younger, more vulnerable girls are exposed to these influences, the impacts

become more extreme. What betray these young souls are their own joy-inducing toys:

Barbie dolls. Rail-thin Barbie dolls with DD-cup size breasts are marketed and

developed by toy manufacturers who set expectations for “physiologically impossible

figures” (Derenne 13). Also, according to a 1991 study by Mark and Mimi Nichter,

professors of anthropology at the University of Arizona, adolescent girls endorsed their

ideal as the models found in fashion magazines; this ideal teenage girl was described as

5’7”, 100 lbs, and size 5 with long, blond hair and blue eyes. This physique is unrealistic

for most women and even perilous, since its body mass index indicates that this ideal is in

the anorexic range (Thompson 163).

As children grow up, they are introduced to the media’s beauty standards.

Television programs have been shown to reinforce the stereotype that women must be

thin to be attractive, and audience laughter teaches that it is appropriate to ridicule

Warner 2

women’s bodies, as shown by researchers Gregory Fouts and Kimberly Burggraf of the

University of Calgary. They also connote that average-weight women are overweight and

unattractive, which can easily lead to body dissatisfaction. Fouts and Burggraf found that

in an analysis of prime-time television comedies,

below-average-weight and above-average-weight

females were misrepresented in the programs.

Also, the heavier the female character, the more

negative comments were made to or about her and

conversely, the thinner the female character, the

more positive comments she received about her

body from male characters. In the study, subjects

rated situational comedies and “76% of central

female characters were ‘below-average’ in weight,

19% were ‘average’ and 5% were ‘above-

average.’” This research reinforces the message for female viewers that in order to be

attractive and receive compliments from males, one has to be thin; the message for male

viewers is that it is acceptable to make positive comments about women’s bodies only

when they are thin. However, when negative comments about women’s bodies are made

by male characters and are followed by audience laughter, it suggests societal approval

that heavier woman’s bodies are laughable (Fouts and Burggraf). In addition to these

findings, a study by Gonzalez-Lavin and Smolak also found that middle-school-aged

girls’ favorite television characters were much thinner than the average woman and

thinness is an attribute of the most “beautiful, desirable, and successful protagonists”

Image from a TV campaign by Anorexi Bulimi Kontakt, a support agency for those facing anorexia and bulimia in Sweden.

Warner 3

(Thompson 163; Van Vonderen 43). Affirmation of these conceptions can be detrimental

to young female viewers who may become more self-aware of their bodies and may start

to become ashamed of their figures.

The reason that many young girls are affected by the ideals imposed by the media

is because of internalization, which is the endorsement or acceptance of media and

societal based pressures regarding appearance. To test this theory, a study by L. M. Irving

was conducted using participants who presented bulimic symptoms. Each subject was

shown photographs of very thin models and reported “significantly less self-esteem and

weight satisfaction” than subjects shown photographs of average-sized and oversized

models (Thompson 165). Internalization of media standards and body dissatisfaction

significantly contribute to eating disorders and other forms of self-harm. Not only does

the media impose ideals on its victims, but it also provides information on “means of

idealized body size,” such as fasting, over-exercising, and purgative techniques

(Thompson 166). Since women accept the image of overly thin, anorexic, “beautiful”

celebrities as the norm, they feel pressured to mimic their habits. Women everyday

encounter images of celebrities on magazine covers that look almost emaciated, and these

images “are filtering down to girls as young as 9 and 10” (Hellmich). Body-image

researcher, professor of psychology at Kenyon College, Sarah Murnen reported in her

studies that girls as young as first grade “think the culture is telling them that they should

model themselves after celebrities who are svelte, beautiful, and sexy.”

Shape-related disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are not only results of poor

body image but are also glamorized by the media as well. Although the media isn’t the

only cause of eating disorders, they are a massive contribution, especially in today’s

Warner 4

technology era. There are a countless number of web sites on the Internet that even

endorse eating disorders, dubbed “pro-ano” or “pro-mia,” pertaining to anorexia and

bulimia, respectively (“Eating Disorders”). To help combat online encouragement, the

blogging forum website Tumblr has a disclaimer under the tag of “thinspiration,” which

is a term used combining the words thin and inspiration and is used by people suffering

from eating disorders to help keep them inspired to lose weight and become or stay thin,

that refers the viewer to a page of counseling and prevention resources for people who

are dealing with eating disorders or self harm issues (“Thinspiration”).

Demi Lovato spoke out about her issues in her documentary Demi Lovato: Stay

Strong, “The problem with eating disorders

[is] it’s never enough. You can lose all the

weight in the world and it’s never going to

be enough; you’re still sick in the head.”

The effects of the media on body

perception have become so extreme that

Kevin J. Thompson and Leslie Heinberg

believe that “preventative and intervention

work should become a top priority.”

Due to the recent cultural shift in

body image, more precautions have been taken to help solve this growing issue. Lovato

along with other artists help instill confidence in teenage girls through music. Demi

relates herself to other girls with similar issues in her music in her songs such as La La

Land, “I'm not a supermodel, I still eat McDonald's.” In her lyrics she not only relates to

Demi Lovato has these tattoos on her wrist as a reminder to herself to “Stay Strong.”Tumblr.com

Warner 5

the audience, but also offers sympathy from her experiences. Other artists such as

Christina Aguilera also create music with sympathetic and empowering lyrics. Aguilera

conveys an inspirational message in Beautiful: “you are beautiful no matter what they

say, words can't bring you down, you are beautiful in every single way.”

Spain has set an example of setting realistic beauty standards for its citizens. In

2006, Spain banned overly thin models on its fashion runways, wanting to “project

beauty and health” (Hellmich). During Fashion Week in Madrid, the minimum body

mass index (BMI) was 18, or about 125 lbs for a 5’10” model (Moore). Even though this

was a great triumph in the fashion industry, experts say consumers in the United States

will have to demand models with “fuller figures” for it to happen here (Hellmich). The

Council of Fashion Designers of America issued recommendations in late 2006 about

health and weight but decided not to enforce them, but rather asked designers to police

themselves, which defeats the purpose (Moore).

The company Dove embarked on a social mission to improve women’s –

and men’s – self-image. Based on the findings of a global study by Stacy Etcoff of

Harvard University et al., The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report, Dove launched

their Campaign for Real Beauty in 2004. The campaign started a global topic about the

need for a wider definition of beauty after the study proved that the definition of beauty

had become limiting and unattainable (“Dove Campaign”). Among the study’s findings

was the statistic that only 2% of women around the world would describe themselves as

“beautiful” (Etcoff). In June 2005, the Campaign advertised six “real women with real

bodies and real curves” to break the thin stereotype. In 2010, Dove evolved the campaign

and launched an unprecedented effort to make beauty “a source of confidence, not

Warner 6

anxiety, with the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem.” This program provides women

everywhere with opportunities to celebrate “real beauty.” Dove has created self-esteem-

building and educational programs that encourage and motivate girls, and it has reached

over seven million girls so far (“Dove”). Although Dove has made great impacts with its

programs, there is still much to be done on a greater scale.

Over the years, much of the media has imposed unrealistic ideals that teenage

girls feel they have to measure up to. As the “thinness ideal” becomes more of a norm,

the prominence of eating disorders manifests itself in younger and younger girls.

Although actions are being taken to combat this threat on society, more should be done to

prevent these influences from affecting teens.

Warner 7

Works Cited

Aguilera, Christina. Beautiful. 2001. CD.

Derenne, Jennifer, and Eugene Beresin. "Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorder."

Academic Psychiatry 30.3 (2006): 10-19. Print.

"The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty." Dove US. Unilever, 2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

"Eating Disorders and the Internet." National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and

Associated Disorders. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2013.

Etcoff, Nancy, et al. The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report. N.p.: n.p., 2004.

Print.

"First Thanksgiving out of Treatment." Episode #3. Demi Lovato: Stay Strong. Perf.

Demi Lovato. MTV. 7 Mar. 2012. MTV. Web. 6 Mar. 2013.

Flora, Carlin. "Individuals Should Focus on Self-Acceptance." The Culture of Beauty. By

Roman Espejo. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.

Fouts, Gregory, and Kimberley Burggraf. "Television Situation Comedies: Female

Weight, Male Negative Comments, and Audience Reactions." Sex Roles: A

Journal of Research 42.9 (2000): 925-32. Print.

Hellmich, Nanci. "Do Thin Models Warp Girls' Body Image?" USA Today 25 Sept. 2006:

n. pag. Web. 3 Mar. 2013.

Lovato, Demi. Interview by Katie Couric. Katie. Hosted by Katie Couric. 25 Sept. 2012.

Television.

- - -. La La Land. Hollywood Records, 2008. CD.

Warner 8

Malkan, Stacy. "The Beauty Industry Promotes Unrealistic Beauty Standards." The

Culture of Beauty. Ed. Roman Espejo. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.

Mehta, Julie. "Positive Body Image Comes from within." Body Image. By Williams

Heidi. N.p.: Greenhaven, 2009. N. pag. Print.

Moore, Booth. "Designers Still Use a Skeleton Crew." Los Angeles Times 7 Feb. 2007: n.

pag. Los Angeles Times. Web. 3 Mar. 2013.

"Thinspiration." Tumblr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.

Thompson, J. Kevin, and Leslie J. Heinberg. "The Media’s Influence on Body Image

Disturbance and Eating Disorders: We’ve Reviled Them, Now Can We

Rehabilitate Them?" Journal of Social Issues 55.2 (1999): 339-53. University of

Southern Florida. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

Van Vonderen, Kristen E., M.S., and William Kinnally, Ph.D. "Media Effects on Body

Image: Examining Media Exposure in the Broader Context of Internal and Other

Social Factors." American Communication Journal 14.2 (2012): 41-57. American

Communication Journal. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

Warner 9