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beauty standards in todays media
reflection paper about the media that promotes body dissatisfaction
negative effects media has on female body image
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Obesity has a major effect on children across the world. The highest rates of obesity in the US is experienced amongst African American girls. Being overweight is related to many psychological risk factors. Body dissatisfaction is being okay with one's overall weight/size. Although being okay with one's overall appearance is a characterized aspect of body esteem. African American girls have not usually displayed emotion distress concerning weight evaluation. Although African Americans girls are dissatisfied with their bodies, it does note conducts them to assess their overall appearance. (Dalton et al. 2011) The increase of eating pathology is partially due to the mass media. The unrealistic thin images of models in the media in comparison to female's actual self-image. The exposure to images of slender models could lead to restrained diet, and several other risk factors. According to an experiment by Field, they found that males that were looking to imitate models in the media, use products to enhance their appearance. Researcher Anschutz, Strien and Engels stated that approximately 20,000 television commercials are viewed by adolescent in the US every year. Companies use attractive, thin models to promote their merchandise. The social comparison suggest that person analyze their own appearance in an negative aspect after watching exceeding attractive people. (Anschutz, Van Strien & Engels, 2011) Research in the US reports that about 40% of adolescent girls are not pleased with their body. About 48% of 9-12 year old girls were completely dissatisfied with their body and 22% thought that they were too 'fat'. (Halliwell, Easun & Harcourt, 2011) The concern with the dissatisfaction of their bodies contributes to negative emotion... ... middle of paper ... ...iction in restrained eaters. Psychology Of Popular Media Culture, 1(S), 48-59. doi:10.1037/2160-4134.1.S.48 Harriger, J., & Thompson, J. (2012). Hollywood and the Obsession with the Perfect Body. Sex Roles,66(9/10), 695-697. Chase, K. (2009). Youth and disordered eating... "Influences of disordered eating in prepubescent children" (February 2009, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 21-24). Journal Of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 47(7), 7. doi:10.3928/02793695-20090701-08 Hawkins, N., Richards, P., Granley, H., & Stein, D. M. (2004). The Impact of Exposure to the Thin-Ideal Media Image on Women.Eating Disorders: The Journal Of Treatment & Prevention, 12(1), 35-50. doi:10.1080/10640260490267751 Teen Health and the Media. (n.d.). Teen Health and the Media. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://depts.washington.edu/thmedia/view.cgi?section=bodyimage&page=fastfacts
Harrison, K., & Hefner, V. (2006). Media exposure, current and future body ideals, and disordered eating among preadolescent girls: A longitudinal panel study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(2), 146-156.
Body image is an important facet in understanding the phenomenon of eating disorders. Body image concerns are important in the etiology and treatment of eating disorders and obesity (Smith, Thompson, Raczynski, and Hilner, 1997; Thompson, 1997). The construct of body image reflects the level of satisfaction one feels regarding his or her body. Body image is a multidimensional construct. It involves race, socioeconomic status, age, as well as, perceptual and attitudinal components. For this reason, research has been done to dispel the myth that all women have a negative body image. Rather, as has been shown, there are definite differences in the perception of body image and self-concept, especially across racial lines. The claims of most studies suggest that African-American women generally have a greater tolerance or acceptability for higher body weight. In addition, African-American women are also thought to place less importance on body size in the scheme of their overall body image, and there are more likely to be satisfied if they are at a higher body weight, and still regard themselves as attractive. Research not only confirms these statements, but also draws attention to other important, culturally- relevant factors, such as age in relation to other cultural forces such as, different attitudes and behaviors that shape the body images of African-American women. Finally, since research shows that body image is an important aspect in the etiology of eating disorders and obesity, its influence and the cultural forces and components behind it should be taken into account in treatment and for future research.
Derenne, J. L., & Beresin, E. V. (2006). Body image, media, and eating disorders. Academic Psychiatry, 30(3), 257-61. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.waketech.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/196508089?accountid=15152
A Review of Mary Pipher”s “Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls”, Laura E. Berk's “Infants and Children: Prenatal Through Middle Childhood”, and Lina A. Ricciardelli's “Self-esteem and Negative Affect as Moderators of Sociocultural Influences on Body Dissatisfaction, Strategies to Decrease Weight, and Strategies to Increase Muscles Among Adolescent Boys and Girls”
O’Dea, J. (1995). Body image and nutritional status among adolescents and adults. Journal of Nutrition & Dietetics, 25, 56-67.
Every culture has a “perfect body image” that everyone compares their own bodies to. Girls especially have the mental thinking that they have to live up to the models on TV and magazines. In the United States the skinnier the girls, the more perfect their image is perceived. The “perfect body image” has an intriguing background, health and psychological problems, and currently few solutions.
One day 6 year-old Taylor came home from school and asked her mother, “Mommy, why is my tummy so fat?... A girl in the bathroom at school asked me why I was fat"(Canning and Wynn 1). The article “Appearance Culture in Nine- to 12-Years-Old Girls: Media and Peer Influences on Body Dissatisfaction” by Levina Clark and Marika Tiggermann tells us that is been said that adolescence is the point when it is most likely for body dissatisfaction to arise, but a growing amount of research suggest that it may develop earlier during childhood. Many studies have shown body dissatisfaction in girls as young as six years old (628).Stephanie Hanes article, “Little Girls or Little Women? The Disney Princess Effect”, says The University of Central Florida did a poll and found the 50 percent of 3-6 year old girls worry that they are fat (482-483). The percentage of preadolescence girls who desire a thinner body size is between 28 to 55 percent. With this body dissatisfaction at a young age it can lead to dieting and related behaviors that are risk facts for chronic body image problems, weights cycling, obesity, and eating disorders. To contribute to this dissatisfaction of ones body there are many influences such as media and peers (Clark and Tiggermann 629). The way body image is portrayed in the media and influences from peers it is having a negative effect on young girls and they are are starting to have body dissatisfaction at younger ages.
While women have made significant advances over the past decades, the culture at large never fails to place a strong emphasis on the way women look. The new standards for beauty are ultimately causing dramatic influences on adolescent females and their body image. Anyone who is familiar with American culture knows that these new standards for beauty is proliferated through the media. No matter the source, we are constantly surrounded by all kinds of media, and we continue to construct ourselves based on the images we see through the media. The more young girls are surrounded by the “thin ideal” kind of media, the more they will continue to be dissatisfied with their bodies and themselves. Thi...
There are many more reasons to developing an eating disorder other than the media. After looking at the affects of media and how researchers explore the concept of development: we will now focus on the other key opponents to the development. Ultimately, if a person’s life situation, environment, and/or genetics leave them open to an Eating ...
Thompson, J.K 1999 An evaluation of the tripartite influence model of body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance with adolescent girls
In a report released by the American Academy of Pediatrics in November 2010 it was found that the amount of children under the age of twelve that were hospitalized for eating disorders as increased 112% between 1999 and 2006.
Negative body image or Body Image Dissatisfaction is when people feel uncomfortable and not satisfied with their looks and they think and see about themselves in a negative way (ReachOut, 2015). It consists of a deformed perception of body size or shape, also feelings of awkwardness, shame and anxiety about the body. Body image dissatisfaction is common to children, adolescents and older women. According to National Institute on Media and the Family (2015) at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are "unhappy with their bodies”. It develops to 78% by the time girls turn seventeen. There is a study on fifth graders wherein 10 year old
Body dissatisfaction is so common among women that it is considered a normative female experience (Knobloch-Westerwick & Crane, 2012). Nearly half of American women experience poor body image (Peterson, Tantleff-Dunn, & Bedwell, 2006). Not only does body dissatisfaction prompt women to attempt to control their weight and shape through dieting (Groesz, Levine, & Murnen, 2002), but it is strongly correlated with eating disorder symptoms (Peterson et al., 2006). Furthermore, body dissatisfaction has been associated with psychological issues such as depression, sexual dysfunction, social anxiety and suicidal behavior (Myers, Ridolfi, Crowther, & Ciesla, 2012). With so many women affected by body dissatisfaction and the associated risks being so severe, it is important to discuss and examine possible interventional methods.
O’Dea, J. (1995). Body image and nutritional status among adolescents and adults. Journal of Nutrition & Dietetics, 25, 56-67.
The mass media plays a large role in shaping a teenage and adolescent girl’s body image. By pushing an ideal body type that is uncommon and untrue to life, girls strive, and struggle to obtain this image. When the mass media only shows one type of body as desirable, they are alienating every girl who does not fit into that category. Pushing these ideal bodies onto teenage girls at an important developmental time in their lives can be detrimental to their bodies and their self worth. By showing what a girl should look like, the mass media is damaging the body images of young girls, and unless awareness is raised, could become more and more adverse on young women today and tomorrow.