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The Media's Influence on Eating Disorders

Images of the "ideal body" bombard consumers daily. They have the ability to twist a positive self body image for any consumer, but especially for young adults.

The average adolescent watches between three and four hours of television every day and sees numerous commercials. One out of four commercials presents a message about what is and what isn't attractive. It is believed that, with average television habits, an adolescent will see more 5,200 "attractive" messages per year. These messages from the media may have an influence on young adults developing eating disorders.

Media Influences on Body Image
The media's influence on eating disorders can be seen in the unhealthy body images it portrays. Here are some examples of the media's unhealthy body images:

• The average U.S. model today is 5'11" and 117 pounds, which is seven inches taller but 23 pounds lighter than the average U.S. woman.
  
  
• Over the last three decades, male models and centerfolds have seen a decrease in body fat and an increase in muscle, while the average U.S. male's percentage of body fat has gotten higher.
  
  
• Female models, beauty contestants and centerfolds have gotten thinner over the last thirty years, but the average woman now weighs more than she did three decades ago.
  
  
• Airbrushing and computerized graphics are now used to remove fat and blemishes from photographs of models, creating an even more "perfect" image.
  
  
• Some models, actresses and Playboy centerfolds fit the weight criteria for anorexia and may weigh 25 percent to thirty percent below their ideal body weights.
  
  
• While two decades ago the average fashion model weighed eight percent less than the average woman, today's model weighs 23 percent less.
  
  
• By today's standards, at 5'5" and 135 pounds, sex symbol Marilyn Monroe would qualify as a plus-sized model.

Strength of the Media's Influence on Eating Disorders
Many question how strong the media's influence is on eating disorders and wonder if this new drive for thinness is learned behavior from media. Several different studies have demonstrated the media's influence on eating disorders and self image, including:

• In one study, seventy percent of women felt depressed and guilty after viewing magazine photos of fashion models for only three minutes.
  
  
• After Western television programming was introduced in Fiji, there was an increase in the rate of eating disorders.
  
  
• One study showed a link between viewing music videos containing thinner-than-average women and having a negative self body image.
  
  
• Eighty percent of women who answered a People magazine survey responded that images of women on television and in the movies cause them to feel insecure.
  
  
• One survey found that after watching thirty minutes of daytime and primetime television (including commercials), women's perception of their own body dimensions were affected.

Effects of the Media's Influence on Body Image
With media images increasing the public's opinion that beautiful people must be waiflike to be beautiful, many of America's youth are turning to eating disorders. On average, one in 100 adolescent girls has anorexia. Approximately 10 percent of anorexics will either die from complications of the disease or will commit suicide.

Although males are less likely to develop anorexia, they are susceptible to exercise bulimia. This condition causes them to excessively work out in order to burn what they consider to be excessive calories.

Changing the Media's Influence on Eating Disorders
Although the change and its results will not be seen immediately, there are ways that the media's influence on eating disorders can be changed into a positive body image message.

Some ways the media can incorporate a healthy body image into magazines, television and movies include:

• Using models who represent the average woman as well as models of all body shapes and sizes.
  
  
• Not criticizing or negatively labeling an actress, actor or model for maintaining a healthy body weight.
  
  
• Creating commercials, films and television programs that associate similar positive characteristics to thin people, obese people and everyone in between.
   
  
• Removing the stigma of women merely being sexual objects, allowing characters to be in situations that imply equal social status and power.
  
  
• Running ads that show people incorporating balanced meals (and desserts) into their routines.

Some companies have already taken steps to portray real women in their advertisements. Dove promoted its Campaign for Real Beauty, which included advertisements featuring real women of various ages and body types. Women took notice of the "real" ads, and the sales of Dove's products increased by 700 percent.

If companies can help solidify a positive body image and increase sales, a change in the media's influence on body image and eating disorders may not be too far off.