them is getting younger and younger. By the sixth grade many girls sit around in large groups flipping through magazines like "Seventeen" and "MY". These girls who just a few short years ago often had a wide-range of interests and high-self esteem find themselves scrutinizing their still young bodies and comparing them to those of various models. This has a devastating effect on girls just starting puberty, when girls are confused enough without being bombarded with pictures of half dressed actresses and young pop-stars. Research done on the affects of th!
             e media on young girls self esteem concludes that "exposure to ultra-thin models in fashion magazines leads to excessive dieting and body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls" ("Ultra-thin Magazine Models" pg.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. This doesn't mean that the media's portrayal of women doesn't make people feel bad, if not lead them to disorders. When I see Mandy Moore on the cover of this month's "MY" with her perfectly tan and toned stomach and white micro-bikini, I can't help but think how big the consequences would be if I sold my soul to the devil in return for her body.
             Similar to Fashion magazine models, "Barbie dolls have long been an unattainable standard for American girls" ("Facts" pg.1). The unattainable body-standards set by models and Barbies cause girls to have impossible standards for their body. Barbies were (and still are) so popular that "90% of all girls ages three to eleven have a Barbie doll" ("Facts" pg.1). Models and Barbies represent an unattainable body type for most young and developing gi
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