Media BS
Perhaps in no other time in history today have body image standards had such an impact on society. With today's mass media people can be subjected to thousands of influencial messages and images daily. The media's influences are surrounding us everywhere we look. Whenever we turn on the television, listen to the radio and read fashion magazines, our minds are bombarded with images of "the perfect body." There is no doubt that in today's society and culture that the accepted image for a woman is to be thin. Although many women will never be as thin as models such as Kate Moss or any other thin celebrity, they still desire the ultimate thinness. Women feel constant pressure to live up to the ideals set by society to be the image of a perfect woman. It is this so-called "perfect" image that women strive to become; it is also this image that drives many women to the development of an eating disorder. The media's influence on society has been partially blamed for the steady rise in eating disorders found
In 1990, the mannequins waists were three inches slimmer, while the average woman's were three inches bigger. Marilyn Monroe flaunted her 5'5, 135 pound, size 12 figure on countless magazine covers and in television and movies. Today's runway model weighs in at around 107 pounds, and stands at 5'10, twenty-three percent less than the average woman, while in 1980, the average model weighed only 8% less than the average woman. While not all diets are completely harmful, many diets deprive the dieters of basic nutritional needs. The dieting and weight loss industry has tripled its income since the 1950's and has grown to be a multimillion-dollar industry today. In addition to the more prominent influences in the fashion industry, anther media seems to be taking its toll on America's youth as well. The increasing numbers of diagnosed cases of eating disorders in noticeably on the rise; but is the media totally to blame? Many say that this is the case. Thin women are not seen this way and are seen as poor and infertile. The impact that today's body image standard is having on women and teens is immeasurable. In the 1950's when anorexia had barely been discovered, the images projected in magazines and billboards were much different. Society and culture play a big part in the fight against eating disorders. As we all know, being "fat" in this day and age is rarely considered in these ways. And while anorexia was once said to be a "white-collar" disorder, it is becoming more and more common in African countries, in China and Japan. The diet industry focuses on shape, size, and body image as a whole.
Common topics in this essay:
Marilyn Monroe,
Kate Moss,
China Japan,
,
France England,
body image,
eating disorders,
thin women,
eating disorder,
society culture,
image women,
average woman,
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Acceptance Essays
