Are You Beach Body Ready Analysis

Eighty percent of women report that they are insecure because of the images on television and in movies. This was admitted in the article “How Do I Look?” in an issue of People’s magazine in 2000. Only ten percent of the women that were interviewed said that they are completely satisfied with their body. How could the media have this much control? According to this poll ninety percent of women are not completely satisfied with how they look. The statistics are even worse for teenagers and children. Many steps need to be taken as a world wide community to lessen the media's effects on young women; young women are choosing unhealthy methods to lose weight, young women are thinking less of themselves because of the media, and overall the media has too much say in what the average citizen should do and say.

“Are You Beach Body Ready”?

A lot of controversy has arisen because of an ad on a subway wall in London. Protein World, the one behind the advertisement, has since changed their advertisements to be more body positive. The original ad said, “Are You Beach Body Ready”, and had a petite young woman posing on it. The advertisement was for a weight loss supplement, but the poster was ridiculed and graffitied over. Many women have issues with body image and comparing how they look compared to models and superstars. Young women have a particularly difficult time with body image. Statistics show that girls start worrying about their weight even before their teenage years. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders has an article, “Eating Disorder Statistics” which states, “81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat”. It is a shame that children this young are worrying about the way they look. When women start worrying about their weight it can ultimately lead to serious disorders, or in extreme cases,

death.
The media has caused many young women to use unhealthy ways to obtain their perfect bodies. Another statistic on the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders says, “Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents”. Anorexia is often preceded by young women starting diets to lose weight. Anorexia Nervosa is defined by Mayo Clinic’s article “Anorexia Nervosa” as, “ … an eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body weight. People with anorexia place a high value on controlling their weight and shape, using extreme efforts that tend to significantly interfere with activities in their lives.” More statistics from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders points out, “95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.8”. Eating disorders are starting at the young age of twelve. It is terrible that almost all young women go through this type of thing. Eating disorders need to be talked about more frequently. It is important to have support during one’s youth so that one can understand that most magazines and media portrayals of women are unrealistic or edited.
Young women often times think less of themselves because of the media's portrayal of women. Many women overlook the good aspects of who they are. The media and marketers realize that insecure women are more likely to buy their makeup, clothes, diet treatment, etc. Women who put emphasis on how rather than their health tend to struggle with mental illness and are likely to have problems with daily life because of mental illness. The article, “Body Image-Girls” on the Media Smarts website says, “Research links exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies to depression, loss of self-esteem and unhealthy eating habits in girls and young women: in one study half of girls ages 16-21 said they would undergo surgery to improve their bodies.” Depression and loss of self-esteem can lead to lack of motivation in day-to-day life, fatigue, and may lead to suicidal thoughts or actions. Even many of the models and celebrities are forced to lose weight and may struggle with eating disorders and mental illnesses. Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters was one of the first celebrities to bring attention to eating disorders. On the website Eating Disorder Hope’s article “Bulimia Isn’t Beautiful: Celebrities with Eating Disorders” author Leslie Vandever speaks more about Karen Carpenter’s tragedy, “...She died suddenly in 1983, the victim of an irregular heartbeat caused by chemical imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa. Carpenter’s tragic and untimely death brought public attention—for the first time—to anorexia and other eating disorders.” Miss Carpenter never admitted she had a problem and it ultimately brought her successful career to a abrupt end.