Is Media to Blame for Eating Disorders, Research Paper Example

Every individual does it some point within his or her lives.  Individuals constantly compare themselves to a celebrity or a person they may see within the media.  Some may wish for a celebrity’s hair, intelligence, beauty or clothing.  But some may focus solely on a celebrity’s body, and how perfect his or her shape is.  “Eating disorders, whether it be anorexia or bulimia, show how an individual can turn the nourishment of the body into a painful attack on themselves and they have at their core a far deeper problem than mere vanity (Giordano 56).” Celebrities are constantly expected to maintain a “perfect” image.  However, the target audience is continuously viewing these celebrities as role models and will do anything to resemble them.  Despite the amount of pressure that is thrust upon individuals on a daily basis, the media is projecting a façade of perfection for the targeted audience, which is causing individuals to exemplify eating disorders.

In today’s society, individuals are constantly being pressured to resemble the person that he or she may see within the media.  The media consists of variety mass communications, such as billboards, radio, televisions, magazines and the Internet.  Majority of individuals spend hours each day viewing different types of media sources, and some might not even realize it.  However, some Americans don’t realize that media sources can alter a person’s opinion on their appearance, and can even change they way they may feel about themselves.

The argument is that the wide use of super-thin models inculcates the wrong ideals of beauty and wrong ideas of what it is to be normal.  In attempt to mimic the idolized models of beauty, young women – so the argument goes – begin to diet, and than are unable to stop.  Many people believe that there is something pernicious in the idea that, in order to be beautiful, a person needs to be very thin and/or strong, toned, smooth and statuesque (Giordano 55).

One of the most stressful reactions within an individual, especially teenage girls, is to view magazines that focus on beautiful women with perfect bodies and idolize them.  Some teenagers constantly hope and wish that some day they would look like the celebrity on the magazine cover.  As a result, some individuals can become so desperate in altering their appearance to resemble the individuals they seen within the media, the risk of developing an eating disorder increases.

The feeling that you don’t measure up to your ideal is not a good feeling. That’s why study after study has found that people feel negatively about themselves after seeing television shows, music videos, movies, and magazines that portray very thin “ideal women” and muscular “ideal men. (Leung 1).

Evidently, the media doesn’t cause all individuals to develop a eating disorder, such as anorexia and/or bulimia.  However, individuals are taught at a young age that looks are a significant factor of a person’s life.  A newspaper recently reported that 98 children between the ages of 5 and 7 were admitted to hospital in the last three years suffering from eating disorders, while a further 99 between the ages of 8 and 9 were also admitted to hospital over the same period. The number of children under 9 years old requiring treatment for eating disorders has doubled in the last year and, the paper warned, “these represent only the most severe cases, where children have become so desperately underweight that their lives are in danger (Periscope 1).

For example, in majority of television shows and movies, individuals that exemplify an astonishing and caring personality are usually portrayed with a character that is beautiful and has a “perfect” image.  In a study done by the University of Wisconsin in 2001, “Green Bay revealed the effects of the media on 10-year-olds. After watching Britney Spears music video or a clip from the TV show “Friends,” the elementary school students expressed dissatisfaction with their own bodies (Leung 2).  Therefore, influences for perfection are encouraged to children within a young age.  Especially in children movies, stories, and television shows, such as Disney movies.  Disney movies resemble how children learn at a yearly age that beauty isn’t skin deep.  However, the characters with negative and mean personalities are portrayed with a character that is overweight and ugly on the outside.  The characters that are overweight and/or ugly are usually depicted as the negative character, lazy or the individual with no friends.  Therefore, media is allowing children to believe in order to receive happiness; you must exemplify a beautiful and perfect image.  Society can’t expect children to believe that an individual’s personality is significant, when the media contradicts this message constantly.

Another example of how children are influenced to portray a “perfect” image at a young age is the popular toy of Barbie.  Barbie has been a popular toy for young girls since 1959, when the first Barbie was created.  However, the Barbie dolls are portioned extremely unrealistic, and exemplify only Barbie dolls that are small in size.  Also, Barbie dolls are absolutely beautiful and portray a “perfect” image, which every individual tries to achieve.  The Barbie dolls also send a message to children that individuals who have beauty, materialistic belongings and thinness will associate happiness throughout their life.  The image of a Barbie doll may enable an idea a child to idealize materialism, beauty, being thin and the “perfect” image, which some may confuse with components of a healthy and happy life.

Another media influence for society, is the image that is being portrayed by super models in today’s fashion industry.  Models are conveyed in numerous different advertisements, television shows, magazines, movies, etc.  However, majority of models that are conveyed throughout these magazines are extremely thin, and may not resemble the average image of most individuals.  “The average woman model weighs up to 25% less than the typical woman and maintains a weight at about 15 to 20 percent below what is considered healthy for her age and height (Leung 1).”  Models try to maintain the image of perfection in order to sell products, however, they are selling false dreams to an average individual.

Thin is definitely in fashion today, but it hasn’t always been that way. Over several decades, the ideal body has become thinner and thinner. Marilyn Monroe, one of the most well-known beauties of all time, was 5’5″ and weighed 135 pounds-she was much curvier than most models and actresses today (Leung 2).

Majority of modeling pictures taking, regardless of which industry the advertisement is for, the pictures are photo shopped and perfected before it is approved for printing.  Therefore, the actual body size and idolized look may not be the actual look of the model.  Sometimes the images are intensely airbrushed or photo shopped, to the point were the actual look may be unobtainable to the average individual viewing the advertisement.  “The media is seen to present images of thinness through role models or through images that imply social desirability.  Women were found to use media images as a reference source in evaluating their own body image and also their sense of acceptance or approval (Giordano 63).” Target audiences don’t focus on the fact that these images are not as real as they seem; yet they focus on how they can achieve this look of perfection.

On the other hand, diet advertisements are constantly displayed within the media, which demonstrates another problem for some individuals.  In numerous diet advertisements, viewers are constantly influenced to the concept that losing weight will make individuals happier and healthier throughout his or her life.  “Eating disorders do not only stem from a desire to be slim: they are an expression of unhappiness through food (Periscope 1).”  Most diet plans throughout media demonstrate a person relating to the viewer as a person who was once obese, however they claim to lose weight and become a happier person altogether.  Therefore, this message is telling individuals that when you lose weight, you will gain happiness and your life will become better.  However, this can ultimately lead to individuals become disappointed within themselves and developing an eating disorder.

These advertisements reveal a mixture of different elements, some of which may help to understand eating disorders.  Through fasting the person achieves ‘purity’: physical and spiritual.  It is possible this purity that the eating-disordered exerciser is seeking to achieve.  Another worrying practice is so-called water therapy for the colon (colonic irrigation), a king of enema, but more invasive, that is thought to cleanse the whole intestine (Girodano 72).

Also, celebrities have become spokespeople for a lot of these diet plans, which makes individuals, buy into the idea of these diet plans actually working.

In essence, eating disorder is an unhealthy issue that must be focused on within the individual.  However, in order to prevent eating disorders throughout society, everyone must play a major role – starting with the media. The media should be more responsible and careful with the body images that are being portrayed as perfect and beautiful to the audience.  Nevertheless, as with any disorder or unhealthy condition, action must begin with the individual struggling with his or her weight.  These individuals must understand that loving themselves is much more important that others loving the way you look.

Works Cited

Giordano, Simona.  Exercise and Eating Disorders: An Ethical and Legal Anaylysis. Taylor & Francis Group. New York. 2010.

Leung, Plato.  “Why the Media is to Blame for Eating Disorders.” Associated Content. 14 May 2011.  New York. 2011.

Periscope.  “Eating Disorders: Caused by the Media?  Delaying Pregnancy?”  The Periscope Post. 14 November 2011. <http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/08/eating-disorders-caused-by-the-media-delaying-pregnancy/>. 2011.