Body Image

It has been a long standing issue whether or not the media can be blamed for having a negative impact on young girls' perception of body image, self-esteem, and the development of eating disorders. I took interest in this topic awhile back in a class at Portland State, so I have done a little bit of research. I don't have access to that information right now as I am in Hawaii, but I believe that studies have shown that the average model is 20% or more underweight. The models that are portrayed in the media are far from a healthy body type, yet the extremely thin body type has become a standard of beauty in America.

Rodman describes the extreme increase in thinness of models through the 1960s to the 1990s. For an adult woman to measure up to the thin models depicted in magazines, she would have to undergo extremely unhealthy eating behaviors and excessive exercise. It's not realistic for women to try and attain this body type. Not only are the models thin, but with today's technology, they are digitally manipulated to look thinner, taller, leaner, with flawless skin and unnatural hip to waist ratio. The women depicted in the media are anything but realistic or attainable for the average woman today.

In recent years, increased awareness about body image issues have been apparent as in the Dove Campaign for Beauty. Despite efforts, I believe that this issue is much to big for anyone to tackle. We use social comparison as a way to gauge or worth in comparison to others around us. The average person today is probably exposed to more images in the media than they are of "real" people. Because these models and celebrities are so prominent in our lives, they create a standard of beauty that the average person can never realistically attain. From a young age, girls read magazines with articles stressing the importance of physical appearance, teaching them to focus on their appearance as a way to measure their self worth.

Rodman also describes the increase that women have in unhappiness with their body. He also points out the increase in cosmetic surgery and breast augmentation. He doesn't mention the increase in eating disorders. It leaves us to wonder whether the media can be to blame for this increasing problem, or if it is just a strange coincidence.