Media And Its Effects On Body Image
Media and Its Effects on Body Image
Despite their claims, the media as a huge impact on how people view themselves. Many young girls and boys see movie stars, super models, and music performers as ideal and want to be just like them. Advertisements also effect how people view the perfect body.
In many cases, famous people are so skinny that young girls and boys believe that the only way to get anywhere in life is to be skinny and have the perfect body type. Thoughts like these may lead to eating disorders including anorexia and bulimia.
Anorexia is an obsessive desire to become thin by self-starvation, excessive exercise, and because they feel they have to be perfect- they have an intense desire to excel in school.
Bulimia is when a person binges out on food followed by making them selves vomit. Most bulimics are of normal weight, but are very uncomfortable with their body and have difficulty with normal food intake.
The media is to blame for making people feel bad about them selves, with all the skinny and attractive models their flashing around on the TV and in magazines. And now people or going into and eating disorder meltdown.
"Advertisers often emphasize sexuality and the importance of physical attractiveness in the attempt to sell products" (Harvesting Minds). This places pressure on men and women to focus on their appearances. It causes most women and also some men to fear being unattractive or becoming old.
The majority of teenagers with eating disorders are girls, but experts believe the number of boys affected is increasing and that many cases may not be reported, since males are reluctant to acknowledge any illness primarily one that is associated with females (Wax).
The number of people affected by eating disorders has significantly increased since the 1970's. Ten to fifteen percent of all adolescent and young women in the United States will develop an eating disorder.
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