Jan 29 2009
The Media and Body Image
Several news shows this morning featured stories about Jessica Simpson being fat. First of all, do we not have anything more important to talk about? Secondly, does society not understand the impact that these criticisms have on our young girls?
Psychologists and eating disorder experts agree that the fashion industry has gone too far in pushing dangerously thin images. This promotion of very thin models has caused girls and women of all ages to not like the way they look. Experts also agree that young girls are being taught that thin and sexy is the best way to be. One study found that only 18% of young girls have a high body esteem and another study found that girls 10 years and older who were exposed to the most fashion magazines suffered the most from poor body image.
There is at least one magazine out there that seems to be supporting a positive self-image. Glamour magazine believes that the media can influence a woman’s body image. The magazine states that it will not run photos of anyone who they believe to be at an unhealthy weight. The magazine also states that they do feature women of all different sizes.
Poor body image in girls is really no surprise, though, considering the following: the countless media images of thin models; mothers obsess over their own weight images; males, like dads and brothers, often show a preference for thin women; and girls’ clothing features sexy body-hugging and midriff-bearing outfits.
Poor body image can lead to participation in some very unhealthy behaviors. These include anorexia, bulimia, frequent and extreme dieting and over-exercising.
Young girls and women need to understand that participation in these behaviors can have some very severe health consequences. Anorexia can cause problems in decision making, fatigue, abdominal pain, absence of menstrual periods, depression, suicide, joint pain, and osteoporosis. Bulimia can cause tooth decay, osteoporosis, dehydration, inflammation or tears of the esophagus, fainting, abnormal heartbeat, suicide, depression, and anxiety.
What can parents do? A few things which I think may help would be parental involvement, talking to your children about body image and health, monitoring behaviors and being aware of any warning signs, and supporting activities which promote positive self-esteem. Girls and women of all ages need to realize that we all come in various shapes and sizes and no one should judge us by the way we look. True beauty comes from who we are, not what we look like.
