dying to be thin
In today's society an increasing number of girls experience blows to their self-esteem and even develop eating disorders due to the media's influence. The main source of these self-esteem blows are fashion magazines, as well as TV characters. The age of girls being influenced by the media is getting younger and younger. Studies have shown that pre-pubescent girls as young as four or five are concerned with their body weight. This concern is often as extreme as feelings of guilt, shame and complete distortion of body image. Studies show, that these self-destructive feelings are often due to the media's influence. Destructive and negative feelings about one's body can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia . Some characteristics of one who suffers from anorexia include: losing a significant amount of weight, fearing weight gain, continuing to diet although thin, feeling overweight even after significant weight loss, losing monthly menstruation, preferring to di!et in isolation, binging and purging and preoccupation with food, calories and nutrition. Danger sings of bulimia include "Binging or eating uncontrollably, and abusing laxatives or diuretics" ("Effects" pg.2-3). By parading very thin wom
Due to the fact that these characters have personalities and story-lines many girls find themselves relating to them. Featured in a 1993 issue of People Mag!azine was the headline, ""Diet winners and thinners of the year: Here's the skinny on who got fat, who got fit, and how they did it. All these messages then result in lowered self-esteem, and the idea that your nothing unless you're pretty, and this can lead to life threatening diseases such as anorexia and bulimia Preteen and teenage girls are all easily influenced the media and their friends. This will result in teenage girls everywhere comparing their waist size to Jennifer Love Hewitt's, Rachel Leigh Cook's, Tara Reid's, Kirsten Dunst's and every bottle-totting bar tender in Coyote Ugly. Pressure can also come from naive parents who make off-hand remarks like "do you really need that second slice of pizza?" and jokes like "are you storing food for the winter?" Mothers and fathers who are constantly dieting can also make their daughters feel as if they should be dieting too. One example is Kim Alexis, a former super model. en in sexy clothing with boys falling at their feet, the media is sending the message to young impressionable girls that boys will like you if you have a good body. My friend (who is very thin) is 5 foot 6, weighs 109, and has a 31 inch bust, 27 inch waist and 37 inch hips. I can personally attest to this as a dancer. Extra-curricular activities such as dance, ice-skating, and gymnastics all focus on one's weight and body. 1), but the same study also concluded that only girls who were already dissatisfied with their bodies are at risk for extreme problems such as eating disorders.
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