A Brief Examination of Studies Related to Possible Causal Links Between Idealized Media Body Images and Negative Behavior, Research Paper Example

Everywhere we turn, we are presented in the media with what we will refer to as “idealized” body images; these images are literally impossible for approximately 85% of the population to achieve, let alone maintain. Though these images are quite often of both men and women, the focus here (as it quite often is in general discussion as well as in scientific research) will remain on women, especially young (adolescent/pre-adolescent) girls. From the time they are young children, girls are fed an unrealistic and unattainable idealized body image as matter of course. From Barbie Dolls to “super models,” girls and young women are fed a steady diet of unrealistic, unattainable body images.

There are many questions surrounding this issue, primary of which is “do impossible-to-reach, overly-idealized media images lead to “negative behaviors”?  These “negative behaviors” could be defined as everything from low-self-esteem to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa to body dysmorphic disorder (wherein the afflicted simply can not see themselves as they are, generally leading the sufferer to believe they are overweight or in some other way inappropriately displaying an “ugly” appearance, no matter how incorrect they nay be. There are a multitude of studies on the subject, and the consensus seems clear that there is a direct, causal link between unrealistic, “idealized” body images and negative –and even dangerous- physical and emotional behaviors.

Given the fact that we are inundated with unrealistic body images in the media on a near-constant basis (hereafter referred to as “idealized” images), it almost seems to stand to reason that such images would inevitably lead to “problems” among at least some of those people exposed to those images; the question remains as to whether the science backs up the so-called “common sense.” While it would be impossible to examine every study done on this subject, a brief examination of some of the many such studies may shed some light on the matter.

Many theorists believe that sociocultural factors are central to the development of eating disorders (Hawkins, Richards, Granley, and Stein,2004). These theorists base their premises on the idea that societal pressures send such powerful messages to developing adolescent girls that it is inevitable that this information would ne absorbed by, and incorporated into, the developing self-image of young girls. The media projects the idea that certain attributes are unattractive, and even unacceptable, and these messages are received by girls who are at a very impressionable age. These theorists believe strongly that these “idealized” images contribute greatly to problems like eating disorders. But are they correct?

As mentioned earlier, the “ultra-thin model portrayed in the media is typically 15% below the average weight of normative women” (Dittmarr, 2009) (and this figure was arrived at some time ago; with the pace at which media ideals change, this figure may well no longer be accurate).  Again, though, the question remains of whether a causal link exists between the “idealized” image and psychological and behavioral problems, such as eating disorders, depression, or low self-esteem. This idealized image of youthfulness, beauty, and thinness and androgyny, is literally genetically attainable for roughly 15% (or less) of the population. Further, this gap between idealization and reality seems to be widening in a country like the United States, where obesity is an epidemic, adding layer upon layer of irony to the sheer concept of the idealized thinness that supposedly defines ‘beauty.”.

Among those who see a correlation between the “ideal” and unhealthy physical and psychological behaviors, two general theories are postulated. First, it is suggested that repeated exposure to unattainable “ideals” may lead to negative mood disorders; these disorders may then manifest in a number of physical and psychological behaviors that would be considered unhealthy (from dangerous dieting to bulimia and anorexia nervosa). Persistent reminders of unattainable weight goals may feed into (pardon the pun) the manifestation of these negative behaviors (Bergstrom, Neighbors, and Malheim 2009).

The second way in which some theorists see a possible link is in the way this “idealized” image may become “internalized,” meaning that every time a sufferer looks in a mirror or sees a media example of the “idealized” imagery, it serves as a reminder and a reinforcement of some associated negative behaviors. This “internalization” leads the sufferer to lose the capacity for accurate self-assessment, further advancing the move towards negative behaviors such as extreme dieting, anorexia and bulimia, and even the abuse of laxatives as a means of weight control. Like may psychological conditions with associated compulsive behaviors, these problems often get worse over time, meaning that without some sort of intervention, true physical harm way await those who suffer from these conditions (Levine, Murnen, 2010).

While there remains some controversy, there does seem to be a paradigm shift towards the notion that there in indeed an incontrovertible causal link between “idealized” imagery and negative –and even dangerous- behaviors. Multiple studies have clearly shown that women who are repeatedly exposed to these “idealized” media images generate lower scores on body-image and self-esteem tests. There are some controversies surrounding the methodologies of many of these tests; in the interest of brevity, these controversies and other questions will not be examined in detail here, other than to note that such controls are ever-tightening and improving, with little change in the final outcomes. One brief examination will be offered as being hopefully exemplary:

In one study, 150 college-aged women were included, including a small number already diagnosed with eating disorders. These women were then randomly divided into control (neutral-image) and test ( idealized image) groups.  In the interest of brevity, the details of the study will be omitted here (though they are readily available through the references); suffice it to say that there was a clear and identifiable link between the “ideal” body-image and the theretofore presumed “problems” (eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, and so on). The evidence was convincing, and nearly incontrovertible (Hawkins, Richards, Granley, and Stein,2004).

This study, among many others, clearly demonstrates a casual link between the “idealized” imagery o the media and the associated problems of eating disorders, extreme dieting, depression, and a host of other physical and emotional disorder. It is interesting to note, by the way, an oft-occurring phenomenon seen in these tests: many of the subjects (again, mostly women, as they are usually the focus of such testing) claim, on the surface to both recognize the “idealized” image as unattainable and reject it out of hand as a “goal” worth striving for. This would seem, naturally, to contradict the observed patterns of actual behavior, demonstrating a large gap between what women say about the media’s ideas and suggestions about “idealized” beauty,” and what they actually think about it (at least in terms of he behavior they exhibit in response to the images).

Study after study seems to have demonstrated clear causal links between the “idealized” imagery portrayed in the media and the associated problems of eating disorders and other problems. As noted, these studies reveal an unusual –and even fascinating- phenomenon: on the surface, many women will claim to “reject” the idealized body image, claiming to recognize it as inappropriate, unattainable and ultimately dangerous –all while reflecting the exact same attributes (such as eating disorders and negative body images) as those who don’t make such claims about recognizing the disparities between “idealization” and reality (Levine, Murnen, 2010).

While some studies shy away from demonstrate direct causal links between “idealized” imagery, and instead, attempt to promote what can best be described as “parallel” information (showing some relationship between “idealized” imagery and negative behaviors), other studies make an effort to clearly and incontrovertibly demonstrate a causal ink between the two factors. In the study “The Body Image Presented by the Media Promotes Disordered Eating,” authors Jennifer Derene and Eugene Beresin make it quite clear that they have found a direct causal link between idealized imagery and eating disorders (among other negative behaviors):

“Standards of beauty are constantly changing, are never realistic, and depend heavily on social context. Although this has always been the case, the modern media culture is relentless in advertising ideal figures, represented by male and female supermodels and action heroes. The barrage of images of ultrathin women and extremely muscular men has led to a general dissatisfaction among consumers, and might be a cause of depression, low self-esteem, and eating disorders, such as anorexia. A healthy diet, exercise, and a lifestyle centered on physical activities instead of TV or computer use is essential to create a healthy attitude toward one’s body.”

Clearly the authors feel it is important that true health (the health not just of one’s physical state, but of ones’ emotional and psychological states as well) requires a balance that is far too often lost among those who focus solely on the “idealized” standards of beauty promoted by the media.

It becomes important to recognize that, in many case, what is presented in the media is agenda-driven, often with the idea in mind of selling something. If only the consumer will by this latest book, or embrace this latest diet fad, or purchase this “new and improved” exercise machine (usually being promoted by one of the 15% of the population for whom it is possible to attain the “idealized” media image of beauty, then not only will the consumer be able to reshape what they look like on the outside, but they will also find the exclusive happiness that the media tells us goes along with looking like that special –and generally unattainable- 15% of people who, genetically, actually are capable of reaching those nearly unreachable body-shape proportions.

At this point –at the risk of utilizing a cliché—it becomes important to recall a lesson we all learned when we were very young: true beauty comes from within. There is nothing wrong with striving to eat properly, and to fit a healthy amount of exercise into our lives. In fact, these things truly are important for both our physical and emotional well-being. It is when we fall into the trap of believing that unattainable “idealized” imagery found in the media will lead us to happiness that we run the risk not only of failing to simply be happy, but actually harming ourselves. We must remind ourselves every day that these unrealistic idealized images are just that: unrealistic, and choose instead simply to strive to be the best people we were designed to be

Works Cited

Dittmarr, Helga. “How do “Body Perfect” Ideals in the Media have a Negative Impact on Body Image and Behaviors? Factors and Processes Related to Self and Identity.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 28.1 (2009): 1-8. Web. 22 Nov 2010.

Levine, Michael P, and Sarah K. Murnen. ““Everybody knows that mass media are/are not [pick one] a cause of eating disorders”: A Critical Review of Evidence for a Causal Link between Media, Negative Body Image, and Disordered Eating in Females.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 28.1 (2009): 9-42. Web. 22 Nov 2010.

Bergstrom, Rochelle, Clayton Neighbors, and Jeremey Malheim. “Media Comparisons and Threats to Body Image: Seeking Evidence of Self-Affirmation.”Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 28.2 (2009): 264-280. Web. 22 Nov 2010.

Hawkins, Nicole, P. Scott Richards, H. Mac Granley, and David Stein. “The Impact Of Exposure To The Thin-Idel Media Image on Women.” Eating Disorders 12:35.50 (2004): n. pag. Web. 27 Nov 2010.

Derenne, Jenniefer, and Eugene Beresin. “The Body Image Promoted By The Media Promotes Eating Disorders.” Academic Psychiatry (2006): n. pag. Web. 22 Nov 2010