The Effects of Mass Media on Women

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Women have struggled with the ideal body since the 1800’s. Unlike today’s society, women in the 1800’s to 1900’s strived to be more voluptuous; women with extra weight were viewed as healthy and wealthy. Going into the late 1900’s, models and actresses had curves and averaged at sizes 12-16. In today’s society, the thinner the woman, the more attractive she is. Women have fought for centuries to meet the specific expectations of others. With this constant battle, many eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder rose up in women of all ages. Many women develop a lack of confidence due to the obsession with the perfect body. It becomes devastating to a woman’s self-esteem when she constantly is preoccupied on how others perceive her. There is no single answer for eating disorders and lack of confidence in women, but the use of research brings in the idea that thin, unrealistic models and actresses play a part in those disorders. Can body image be a struggle? What is body image? The way we look. The way we feel. The way we are perceived by others. According to Kasey Serdar, undergraduate at Westminster College, body imagine is a “complicated aspect of the self-concept that concerns an individual's perceptions and feelings about their body and physical appearance”. Serdar’s article is located on Myriad, which is an undergraduate academic journal for students to post current issues facing college students and adults. She also include multiple theories that have been tested to give more information on how females try to compare one’s body and self-image to another. This concept of the untouchable standard is not simply and idea that an overweight person conjured up to make excuses for themselves. Th... ... middle of paper ... ... impacted. Works Cited Braunstein, Glenn D. “The Realistic Skinny on Moms, Pregnancy and Weight Gain.” The Full. Huffpost, 5 Nov. 2012. Web 21 Apr. 2014. Grabe, Shelly and Monique Ward, Janet Hyde. “The Role of the Media in Body Image Concerns among Women: A Meta-analysis of Experimental and Correlational Studies.” PsychNET. American Psychological Associations, 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. "Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association." Media, Body Image,and Eating Disorders. NEDA: Feeding Hope, 2001. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. Serdar, Kasey L. "Female Body Image and the Mass Media: Perspectives on How Women Internalize the Ideal Beauty Standard." Westminster. Westminster College, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. Valeri, James. "Dissatisfaction with Our Bodies and Eating Disorders." University of Minnesota Duluth, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.

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