I blame the media

There is no doubt that the growing prevalence of eating disorders in industrialized societies is coupled with the prevalence of conspicuously thin representations of women in the media.
The media presents images of people that don’t represent reality. The majority of women in advertisement material, fashion magazines and TV personalities have an unbelievably thin figure. If these women do not posses it through irregular and unnatural eating habits and diets (which is cause for concern especially in the fashion industry), major companies use photo shopping techniques to make it look as though they do. These messages and images shape girls negative attitudes of body image when they do not look as these woman do, causing low self esteem, which trigger their own dieting obsessions that can then lead to eating disorders. Some companies do aspire to promote their company by using ‘real woman’ but the large majority do not, in fact they promote the anorexic look. For a company to sell more products they use images conveying conventional beauty, which in the past decade has become extremely thin. The body types of the women in these images become goals for young women to aspire to, in order to be considered attractive.




The appearance of waif-like models in magazines, on the runways and in advertisement is only a small way in which young woman are constantly bombarded with thinness depicting media on a daily bases. The products in supermarkets which are ‘diet’ or ‘99% fate free’ the advertisement of diet products, plans shakes and pills, weight loss tv shows, actors in films (where the leading/successful role is slim and attractive) gossip columns where celebrities who have put on weight are dissed and those who have lost it are praised. The media is imposing unnatural standards of beauty on women during important developmental stages of their lives. To anyone living in western society, it is inescapable, it fills our daily lives until for some, it becomes an obsession. If messages like this throughout adolescence and woman hood isn’t enough, it is apparent that such messages are embedded in our minds from a young and tender age.

Bundoora’s (1977) social learning paradigm theorizes that the more attractive an observer finds a social agent, the more the observer will strive to try to be like that agent. Children’s films like that of Disney which present the ‘good’ characters as slim and beautiful and the ‘evil’ characters as fat and ugly, toys such as the Barbie doll who is presented as a role model who’s appearance becomes a prototype to children, set shape children’s attitude about what are desirable physical qualities. They are conditioned to idolize and have preference to the media stereotypes.


Studies such as that from the BJHP (2003) conclude young girls have a desire for thinness from as young as 6 years old. The NIMF (1996) found a positive association with movie and television watching and a desire to be thin. Onset of anorexia is generally in adolescence (EDFV 2009) 68% of 15 year old females are on a diet. 91% of collage students are on a diet (Eating Disorders 2009). Studies by researchers such as DeGroat (1997), (Harrison 1997),Hofschire and Greenberg (2002), Hargreaves, (2002) Bearman, Martinez and Stice (2006) have found a relationship between media and body dissatisfaction.


Young people who consume media become strongly influenced by it, living in western culture, it is impossible to avoid. The mass media pervade the everyday lives of people, some are more influenced than others and obviously the development of an eating disorder is depended on the individuals circumstances, but there is no doubt that the media are the driving force of promoting and transmitting societal beauty ideals which are stereotypically obsessively thin. The effect is apparent, woman have poor body image and suffer body dissatisfaction.



References:
Bundoora (1977) cited in Harrison, K., (1997) Does Interpersonal Attraction to Thin Media Personalities Promote Eating Disorders? Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Vol. 41, 1997
Viewed on 17th august 2009

Bearman, S.K., Presnell, K., & Marinez, E. (2006). "The skinny on body dissatisfaction: A longitudinal study of adolescent girls and boys." Journal of Adolescence, 35
Viewed 7th September

DeGroat, Bernie (1997). Media influence eating disorders.
Viewed 29th October

Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria (EDFV)
viewed on 10th August 2009
(www.eatingdisorders.org.au)

"Eating Disorders." (January 28, 2009). Sober Recovery.
viewed 10th October

Hofschire, L. J., & Greenberg, B. S. (2002). Media's impact on adolescents' body dissatisfaction. In J. D. Brown, J. R. Steele, and K. Walsh-Childers (Eds.) Sexual Teens, Sexual Media. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

dangers of adobe

Growing public concern about the dangerous of anorexia and other eating disorders within the fashion world are apparent. Recent events in the media have sparked, what has been coined ‘the size 0 debate’ . An image used on a Ralph Lauren poster advertisement for Blue Label jeans came to light last week by Boing Boing blogger who reproduced the add with the critique "Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis." The image depicts the size 8 model, Filippa Hamilton with grotesquely thin waist and hips (The Huffington Post , 14th October 2009).


The image of filipa used for Ralph Lauren blue label poster vs. fillipa on the runway.

The next day, Filippa announced the company had fired her for being too fat. 'They fired me because they said I was overweight. They said I couldn't fit in their clothes any more, because I was too large. I saw my face in this extremely skinny girl - which is not me. It makes me sad. It makes me think that Ralph Lauren wants to have this kind of image - and it's not healthy, it's not right. 'And it's not a good example. When you see this picture young women will look at this and think it's normal, and it's not.' (Daily Mail, 15th October 2009). Her lawyer, Geoffrey Menin, said the image is 'gross distortion of how she really looks and fears it will be extremely damaging to her.' Filippa said she was concerned about its impact on the public. 'I'm very proud of what I look like, and I think a role model should look healthy.' (Daily Mail, 15th October 2009)

The image was used as a poster advertisement in Japan, later last week, another image was found in a shop window in Sydney. Ralph Lauren admitted to the poor imaging and retouching. Response has added to the size zero debate, that such pictures are a powerful force, having a toxic influence on young girls, and that size zero models contribute to the development of eating disorders (Daily Mail, 10th October, 2009).

The size 0 Debate: Update

In 2008 the editor of UK men’s magazine GQ admitted to airbrushing the cover image of Kate Winslett ‘ to improve the image’ ‘Practically every photo you see in a magazine will have been digitally altered in this way." (BBC NEWS, 9th October 2008) Winslett apolagised for the slimmed photographs 'Look, I don't look like that'. I'm not mad at the magazine, but I have no intention of looking like that." (people.com, November 4th 2009)

On the 5th October 2009: French legislator, Boyer announces he intends product label and campaign posters to carry a warning when the photograph has been digitally enhancedto be manditory in France, the warning would read "Photograph retouched to modify the physical appearance of a person." (Time, 5th October, 2009)

5th October 2009: Germany’s most popular women’s magazine Brigitte banned professional models, saying from 2010 it would only use models with 'normal figures'. (Guardian, 5th October, 2009)

12th October 2009 iconic German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld was quoted saying, “Curvy women have no place on the catwalk…no one wants to see curvy women," He continues by saying the world of fashion is about "dreams and illusions" and dismisses Brigittes decision to no longer feature professional models as “absurd”. (SMH, 12th October 2009)

The media creates unrealistic expectations for young women (Holmstrom 2004). The idealized beauty in these photos, like the images we see from the Ralph Lauren campaigns, give people false expectations of how how they should look. Our daily reality becomes filled with frustration of the normality of imperfection, that we don't look Slim like the girls starving to be on the catwalks or photoshopped to impossible proportions on add campaigns. Positive actions are taking place, like that of Boyer's suggested legislation and Brigitte magazines ban on skinny models, but the reality is, the 'high rollers' of the fashion world, like Karl Lagafield and Ralph Lauren who are very influential, whos many look up to from magazine editors, to consumers, are only reinforcing the issue, and don't intend to change how they present fashion any time soon.

BBC NEWS, 9th October 2008, Magazine admits airbrushing Winslet, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2643777.stm

Deanne, J . "Eating Disorders and the Media." (February 10, 2002).viewed 10th October http://www.eating-disorders.org.uk/info.htm

Daily Mail, “Ralph Lauren apologises for digitally retouching slender model to make her head look bigger than her waist” 10th October 2009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1219046/Ralph-Lauren-digitally-retouches-slender-model-make-look-THINNER.html

Daily Mail, 15th October 2009, 'I was sacked for being too fat,' says 'stick insect' model digitally retouched to make her head bigger than her waisthttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1220397/Photoshopped-Ralph-Lauren-model-Filippa-Hamilton-fired-fat.html

Guardian, 5th October, 2009. Brigitte, Germany's most popular women's mag, bans professional models http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/05/brigitte-german-magazine-bans-models

People.com, Kate Winslet 'Furious' Over Body Airbrush Claims by Pete Norman, November 4th 2008http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20237699,00.html

The Huffington Post , 14th October 2009, Ralph Lauren Apologizes For Image Of Emaciated Model: "We Are Responsible" (UPDATE) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/09/emboing-boingem-and-ralph_n_311593.html

The Times, June 13, 2009 Vogue editor launches new war on size-zero fashion, Will Pavia
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article6489243.ece

Telegraph, 6th October, 2009, German women's magazine Brigitte bans modelshttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/6263810/German-womens-magazine-Brigitte-bans-models.html

Time, 5th October 2009, France May Put Warning Labels on Airbrushed Photos http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1927227,00.html?cnn=yes

SMH, 12th October 2009, No one wants to see curvy women: Karl Lagerfeld, http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/no-one-wants-to-see-curvy-women-karl-lagerfeld-20091012-gskk.html

Cause & Concern

From the toys such as Barbie and animations such as those by Disney that are presented to children at a young age, to the fashion magazines, tv shows and advertisements adolescence are exposed to, there is a barrage of messages about thinness, beauty and dieting. The media is imposing standards of beauty on woman during important developmental stages of their lives that are both unrealistic and difficult to achieve. What impact is this having on women in our society?

An abundance of research has shown a concerning rise in body dissatisfaction, unhealthy dieting patterns as well as eating disorders in young people. The EDFV (2009) found that onset of anorexia is generally in adolescence and a staggeringly 68% of 15 year old females are on a diet. The National Eating Disorder Association reported that 91 percent of women on college campuses across a range of universities in the U.S. are on a diet (Eating Disorders, 2009). In a study to determine at what age young girls had a desire for thinness, the British Journal of Health Psychology from May 2003 concluded that the age in young girls was approximately age 6 (Lowes and Tiggemann, 2003).

Many people believe the media messages don’t affect the lives of young people, yet much research has shown a correlation between this rise in body concerns and exposure to the types of media discussed in earlier posts. Garfinkel and Garner (1982) argue that television and magazines portray thin characters as more successful and personally effective than overweight characters in a variety of endeavors which increase the attractiveness of thin characters (cited in Harrison 1997).

Peterson, Paulson & William’s 2007 study examines the relations of adolescents' perceptions media pressures with the development of eating disorder symptoms. Results by Field et al (2001) the development of weight concerns and weight control practices among preadolescents and adolescents are influenced by the media. In a survey of female undergraduate students Harrison (1994) found that about 15 percent of the women met criteria for disordered eating, signs of anorexia or bulimia, body dissatisfaction, as well as a drive for thinness, perfectionism and a sense of personal ineffectiveness. In a later study, Harrison (1997) also showed that magazine reading and television viewing, especially exposure to thinness supporting media, significantly predict symptoms of women's eating disorders. Reading fashion magazines in particular is notably related to a woman's strive for thinness and body dissatisfaction (DeGroat).

A study by Bearman, Martinez and Stice (2006) discovered that body dissatisfaction could be predicted among adolescents exposed to such media. They showed that in terms of body dissatisfaction, significant increases for girls were present during early adolescence, the rates increased over the three years that the study was conducted.

This stereotype emphasizing the importance of physical attractiveness categorically linked with thinness is inescapable. The following images are just a small way in which adolescents and children are pounded by thinness depicting and thinness promoting media on a daily basis.



"It see ms clear that young women's patterns of disordered eating, including both attitudinal and behavioural tendencies, are related not only to the types of media they expose themselves to, but also to the way they perceive and respond to specific mass media characters…. This relationship may seem obvious to readers who are concerned with this issue and openly acknowledge the possibility that the media operate as transmitters of potentially dangerous socially desirable values and norms.” (Harrison 1997)

These messages and images may not directly cause an eating disorder but they shape girls’ negative attitudes of body image and lower self esteem and trigger dieting obsessions that often lead to full blown eating disorders. And it is absurd to think that counter messages, we trying to disseminate in health classes in our schools saying “all shapes are ok” are having a positive effect. Clearly, society doesn’t mean it – because the media continues to promote the anorexic look (Deanne 2009)

These images along with past research underscore the insidious influence of the media on self image. The standards that the media sets in terms of body shape and appearance are taken on by a large proportion of individuals. The images the media present us become goals to aspire to, in order to be deemed attractive. It is further promoted through images in gossip magazines putting down celebrities who have gained weight and praising those who have “slimmed up and trimmed down”. Through the products that are available which have “diet” and “fat free” written all over them. The advertisement of diet products, pills and shakes. The effect it is having on young woman is clear, poor body image, body dissatisfaction and the development of eating disorders.

Bearman, S.K., Presnell, K., & Marinez, E. (2006). "The skinny on body dissatisfaction: A longitudinal study of adolescent girls and boys." Journal of Adolescence 2006 April; 35(2): 217–229.
Viewed 7th September

Deanne, J . "Eating Disorders and the Media." (February 10, 2002).
viewed 10th October

DeGroat, Bernie (1997). Media influence eating disorders.
viewed 10th October

"Eating Disorders." (January 28, 2009). Sober Recovery.
viewed 10th October

Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria (EDFV)
viewed on 10th August 2009

Field, A, Camargo, A, Taylor, B, Berkey ,C, Roberts, S and Colditz, G (2001)
Peer, Parent, and Media Influences on the Development of Weight Concerns and Frequent Dieting Among Preadolescent and Adolescent Girls and Boys
PEDIATRICS Vol. 107 No. 1 January 2001, pp. 54-60

Lowes, J, Tiggemann, M. (2003). Body dissatisfaction, dieting awareness and the impact of parental influence in young children. British Journal of Health Psychology, Vol. 8 Issue 2. viewed 10th September

Nostrand, J V, (2001) Eating Disorders: Eating Disorders: How the Media Have Influenced Their Development In Adolescent Girls
viewed 10th October

Peterson, K, Paulson, S & Williams, K (2007)
Relations of Eating Disorder Symptomology with Perceptions of Pressures from Mother, Peers and Media in Adolescent Girls and Boys
Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, vol. 57, no. 9-10

Living Doll

The biggest selling toy in history, Barbie was first released in 1959, to promote the first of its kind ‘womanly figured’ doll, a TV advertisement which spoke the lines:

“My barbie doll is really real”

“Barbie is small and so petite; clothes on that figure look so neat”

“One day I’m going to be exactly like you”



Parallel to the animated characters in Disney films which present female characters as thin and attractive with long legs and ample breasts. Barbie is presented with a body shape and proportions which are physiologically impossible (Fein, 1995, p152). She is described as the pinnacle of plastic perfection (BBC News 1998), however, Barbie were a human being, her proportions would be 6'9" tall, her bust measurement would be 40”, a tiny 22" waist, and 36" hips, her neck would be twice the length of a normal human woman. Barbie would not have enough room in her tiny waistline to have full sized organs, nor would she be able to menstruate (Fein, 1995, 153).


Her body, with its buoyant breasts, wasplike waist, and endless legs defies all human proportion (Ockman 1999)

A typical young girl who owns a Barbie has an average of 7 of the dolls. It is said that the toys that children play with also help shape a sense of what is physically desirable and undesirable
“When all you ever see from growing up from dolls and media is this super-thin ideal that isn’t even healthy (but portrayed as the ultimate peak of health), it can inspire a girl to chase after these “ideals” even to the detriment of her emotional, mental and physical health. " (Kelleher 2005 p152). Barbie, through appearance, actions and accessories, has continued to disproportionately focus her attention on body issues (Jeffrey 2009). In 1965 Slumber Party Barbie came with a book entitled How to Lose Weight which advised: "Don't eat." The doll also came with pink bathroom scales reading 49 kg, which would be around 15 kg underweight for a woman with a woman who is 5’9” (Lord 2004).

A range of feminist criticism has explored a variety of dimensions to the influences of Barbie. Second-wave feminists have criticized Barbie, and her impossible, unrealistic idealized body type, as an objectification by male desire. Third-wave feminist opposing such criticisms, asserting that Barbie’s body type signifies liberation from the shame previously associated with body changes in puberty, and commend Barbies independent woman image presented through her varying professional jobs (Jeffrey 2009). (eg. Barbie has been presented as a Vet, a Doctor and an athlete)

A Documentary by Asselanis’s (1996) called “I, Doll” outlines the normative effect of children’s opinions of ideal body types throughout the doll’s history. The film suggests the doll was modeled on a Hollywood ideal of beauty. The film’s underlying theme is that Barbie sets a bad body type example for children (Jeffery 2009)

Barbie's ‘perfect’ figure in line with other media driven advertisements make some girls feel unhappy with their bodies (Fein 1995). According to Niva Piran, “any failure to achieve an ideal body is viewed as the sole responsibility of the individual and representative of some internal character flaw” (cited in DeZon 2008 p. 9).

“Per Time Magazine, there is an 80% chance you have had her on at least one diet by the time she is in fourth grade. Fourth grade. Think about that. She is ten-year-old. She is still playing with dolls. Her body hasn't hit puberty yet. She is learning independence and is developing her own opinions on life. You are prioritizing weight and appearance in her life. By the time she is in college, her chance of having an eating disorder is 19%. She has put her Barbie doll away. But that image of the perfect body is still with her. No matter how thin she may be, she is still aspiring toward Barbie” (Stay-at-home mum, Betsy Gallup 2002)

Another counter argument exists, claims are made that children know what is and isn’t realistic, and understand that Barbie is not “real”. This argument is conflicted by real life examples of woman who seem affected by the ideal Barbie have placed on them during childhood. Barbie syndrome is a term used to describe the desire to have the body and looks of a Barbie doll. The Syndrome is usually associated with pre-teen and adolescent girls but is applicable to any age group. Someone afflicted with Barbie syndrome strive to attain such a body type through cosmetic means (Dorsey 2001)

Cindy Jackson's autobiography 'Living Doll'
image source: Amazon

Cindy Jackson, 48, had 31 operations over 14 years to look like Barbie “I looked at a Barbie doll when I was 6 and said, ‘This is what I want to look like.’ She spent $100,000 on the operations because she ‘wanted to look better’, “Barbie was the blank canvas I filled in all those years ago. It was still my role model.” Cindy believed she was being ‘held back by her looks’ and that with surgery to make her more like her idol, she believes she is happier and has a better quality in life. Although this example is both rare and extreme, it is interesting to observe a woman's behavior later in life, who so blatantly and clearly links her desire of appearance to a prototype presented to her as a child.

According to Fein (1995) the Barbie Doll make girls and women feel as if they have to try to somehow attain her certain body type, this is true in examples such as Cindy Jackson. Children have always innately associated themselves with their toys to give them information about their own identities. This allows them to form and develop their self image at an early age (Lind 2008). Toys such as the Barbie doll, children’s animated films, material they are exposed to through TV and advertising, combined with family influences, firmly set in place a young person’s attitudes about physical appearance and what they believe to be desirable physical qualities.


REFERENCES:

Cannon, J., (2008) "Barbie as Feminine Icon: The Subversion Narrative Gets a Second Run on Film" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, TBA, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 21, 2008 viewed online 25th September

DeZon, B. (2008) "No Mirrors No Makeup, No Men, No Problem? A Rhetorical Analysis of Curves' Strategies for Membership" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the NCA 94th Annual Convention, TBA, San Diego, CA, Nov 20, 2008
viewed online 15th September 2009

Fein, G. G. (1995). Toys and stories: In A. D. Pellegrini (Ed.), The future of play theory (pp. 151-165). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Kelleher, Kathleen. "Birds & Bees; this Cartoon's Got Legs--and Hips Too." Los Angeles Times 15 Jul. 2002: E.1. Proquest Direct. Manhattanville Coll. Lib., Purchase, NY. 23 Feb. 2005 .

Leung, R., (2004), Becoming Barbie: Living Dolls, Real Life Couple Are Models Of Plastic Perfection, Aug. 6, 2004, CBS News. viewed online 20th September

Lind,Amy. "Battleground:Women,Gender,and Sexuality",Published by Greenwood Publishing Group,2008

Lord, M.G. (2004) Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of A Real Doll, Chapter 11, William Morrow & Company; 1st edition

Ockman, Carol. “Barbie Meets Bouguereau: Constructing an Ideal Body for the Late Twentieth Century,” in The Barbie Chronicles: A Living Doll Turns Forty, ed. Yona Zeldis McDonough, New York: Touchstone, 1999.

Signorielli, N. (1997, April). Reflections of girls in the media: A two-part study on gender and media. Kaiser Family foundation and Children NOW
Viewed online 25th August 2009

Sacks, Danielle. “The Barbie Problem.” Fast Company, 10859241, May2004, Issue 82. viewed online 25th september

Doubting Disney

The Disney Princesses
image source: proprofs

What do these six girls have in common?

1. They are created by the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world.
2. They present heroine characters which are likable, wholesome, virtuos and successful
3. They are thin.

In a study to determine at what age young girls had a desire for thinness, the British Journal of Health Psychology from May 2003 concluded that the age in young girls was approximately age 6 (Lowes and Tiggemann, 2003). There is a growing concern about the messages that are delivered to young female viewers through the popular media they are exposed to. A primary example of this is Animated films (Travail 2007).

In almost all Disney movies the main, female character is depicted with a petite waistline, thin arms and legs, perfect womanly curves, proportioned facial structures and flawless skin … in other words, the idealized image of the female body type. The same goes for other movies, cartoons, television shows and children’s toys. This image could be a prime factor in problems later in life, such as body dissatisfaction and teenage eating disorders and depression (Travail 2007). “Girls developed eating disorders when our culture developed a standard of beauty they couldn't obtain by being healthy. They have been culturally conditioned to hate their bodies which are, after all, themselves.” (Dr. Pipher cited in Travail 2007)

Donna E. Shalala, Secretary, Department
of Health and Human Services
“Girls today look to the most powerful mirror we have,
the mirror of popular culture. They say, tell
us who we are and who we should be. But
too often they are seeing that they don't
measure up to the images that have been
created for them. Too often they see that
they are not good enough or thin enough
or pretty enough”. (Signorielli 1997)

National Institute on Media and the Family performed a study in 1996 in which found that the amount of time a young person watches movies and television is positively associated with the degree of body dissatisfaction they present as well as a desire to be thin. Perhaps by observing, associating and idolizing the central heroines in Disney films a young girl may effectively suffer from body dissatisfaction as attempts to look like the characters in the film is merely impossible (Travail 1997).

In Disney’s film The Little Mermaid Ariel the leading “good” character is presented as youthful, pretty and thin. In contract Ursula the “bad” evil character is seen as overweight and unattractive (Travail 1997). "Disney's representations of evil women and good women appear to have been fashioned in the editorial office of Vogue," and that Ariel, specifically, is "modeled after a slightly anorexic Barbie doll"(Giroux 34, 36 cited in Travail 1997)

Ursula takes Ariels voice - Scene from The Little Mermaid (1989)
source: youtube

Ariel makes a deal with Ursula to trade her voice for a pair of legs, Ursula tells of how she helps other 'merfolk' “this one’s longing to be thinner”. When Ariel asks what she will do without her voice, Ursula replies:
"You'll have your looks, your pretty face. And don't underestimate the importance of body language” (taken from scenes in The Little Mermaid 1989)
This scene sends a strong message about the importance of appearance. Ultimately, Ariel makes a deal with Ursula to trade her fins for a pair of legs because she is dissatisfied with her body and her identity, and believed this was the only way prince Eric would accept her, and marry her. This provides little girls with the message that in order to find love and happiness, one must change her identity in order to look like the "ideal" woman (Do-Rozario 49 cited in Travail 1997).

Young people are conditioned to idolize and have preference to these media stereotypes, whether it be in movies, cartoons, television shows or toys. It’s a vicious cycle, if media and other products presented models that were not conventionally attractive, they would be less popular, and obviously these companies would make less money. There for, they maintain this ideal which continues to influence younger generations. When Warner Brothers Television President Tony Jonas was asked why female TV characters always look like models. He said, “It's a very odd line to walk. We try to show empowered women but we also take advantage of the fact that they're beautiful, because that attracts men to watch as well. There are economics that drive some of these decisions.” Children Now Magazine

The body types seen in Disney characters such as Ariel are comparable to models in fashion magazines (The Media Awareness Network). These types suggest, and show girls that to feel beautiful, sexy and successful, they must become like the models. Girouz (1997) insists “Young girls identify with these heroines and act out their roles” These roles serve "as an influence on children's identity and action" that become "modes of communication and action within society” "(Giroux in Travali 1997). Travail (1997) proposes that central Disney heroines are role models to young girls, which set standards for which features they need to possess in order to be accepted.

Piran (2000) states “we’re seeing a homogenization and globalization of beauty ideals. It’s white. It’s thin. And the result is that people have come to identify less with their own cultures and more with an (Western) image in the media” (Piran cited in DeZon 2008 p. 41). It is suggested that if a young girl makes a connection between benevolent characters and the ideal rail-thin body type (as symbolized by each of the Disney Princesses), Disney films aggravate the average child's tendency to view overweight individuals in a negative light (Piran 1999).

Much research has shown that young people who regularly consume media images can become strongly influenced by them. A stereotypical image of uniformly beautiful and obsessively thin female in entertainment aimed at children is ever so common, Animations such as Disney present only part of the problem.


Next week: Barbie and body dissatisfaction.


References:

DeZon, B. (2008) "No Mirrors No Makeup, No Men, No Problem? A Rhetorical Analysis of Curves' Strategies for Membership" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the NCA 94th Annual Convention, TBA, San Diego, CA, Nov 20, 2008
viewed 15th September 2009
- Piran, N. (2000). The influence of media on body image. Special Issue of the "Healthy Weight Journal." New York: BC Decker. (cited in DeZon 2008)

Lowes, J, Tiggemann, M. (2003). Body dissatisfaction, dieting awareness and the impact of parental influence in young children. British Journal of Health Psychology, Vol. 8 Issue 2. viewed 10th September

Piran, N., Levine, M., Steiner-Adair, C. (1999) Preventing eating disorders: a handbook of interventions and special, Psychology Press, 1999

Signorielli, N. (1997, April). Reflections of girls in the media: A two-part study on gender and media. Kaiser Family foundation and Children NOW
Viewed on 25th August 2009

Travali, D. (2007) Portrayal of the Female Body Image in Disney Films, AC associated Content, October 17, 2007 viewed 12th September 2009
- Giroux, Henry A. "Animating Youth: The Disneyfication of Children's Culture." Socialist Review 24.3 1994: 23. Proquest Direct. Manhattanville Coll. Lib., Purchase, NY. 28 Feb. 2005 (cited in Travali, 2007)

Modelling Models

Since the 1950’s the body shape of contemporary models in advertisements has changed, over the past decade it has become thinner and thinner and more recently been found to be clinically underweight. This body type which is commonly represented has been socially constructed as beautiful and desirable (Fay & Price) – (“Female Body-shape in Advertisements") A 2008 Mission Australia survey of 45,500 people found body image was one of the top three concerns of both males and females aged between 11 and 24. (ABC NEWS,2009)

"the proliferation of photographic and electronic media images of thin and in most cases emaciated looking women has in the last decade been and increasingly powerful factor in promoting contemporary body ideals to the female audience" (Gordon 2000) – (pursuit of identity journal)

“mass media (TV, movies, magazines, internet) pervade the everyday lives of people living in Western societies, and undoubtedly one of the effects of such media saturation is the pervasive transmission of societal beauty ideals” (Tiggemann, 2006, para. 2)

An overwhelming amount of studies have found a relationship between media, specifically fashion magazine reading and body dissatisfaction* and certain eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. In a study by Harrison (1997) among undergraduates, media consumption was positively linked with a strive for thinness and body dissatisfaction among women. Examples such as thin television characters and magazine models are used and it is found that about 15 percent of the women met criteria for disordered eating--signs of anorexia or bulimia, body dissatisfaction, a drive for thinness, perfectionism and a sense of personal ineffectiveness. Interpersonal attraction to these social agents facilitates modeling of these agents’ behavior; her study showed that attraction to thin media personalities predicted 6 of 7 eating disorder indices (Harrison 1997).

Hofschire and Greenberg (2002) study on the media's impact on adolescent body dissatisfaction, found that reading magazines for teen girls or women also correlated with body dissatisfaction for girls and girls who identified with models has a positively correlation with body dissatisfaction. DeGroat (1997) found that reading fashion magazines is significantly related to a woman's body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. Teenage girls who viewed commercials depicting women who modelled the unrealistically thin-ideal type of beauty caused adolescent girls to feel “less confident, more angry and more dissatisfied with their weight and appearance” (Hargreaves, 2002).

A study by Bearman, Martinez and Stice (2006) found significant increases for girls over the three year course of their study in terms of body dissatisfaction. The stereotype given to girls through the media emphasizes the importance of physical attractiveness which is categorically linked with thinness.

Ana Carolina Reston, image taken from THE AGE 3 march, 2009


Representations of feminine beauty in mass media personalities and in the fashion industry reinforce the desirability of extreme thinness, not only by those who follow it, but also by those who are in it. Media personalities and models who feel pressured to attain to the set ideals of expected appearance to be successful in their industry suffer. There has been little response from organizations who have an influence on these standards. It wasn’t until 2006 that the use of underweight models was largely criticised, following the death of two catwalk models in, Ana Carolina Reston, 21, died from a generalised infection caused by anorexia and Luisel Ramos, 22, who died of heart failure during a fashion show in Montevideo after living on a diet of lettuce and diet coke for three months (THE AGE, 2009) Later that year Madrid barred models below a certain weight from walking in Shows. If models had a body-mass-index (BMI) of less than 18 they were banned. (under 18.5 is considered underweight) (THE AGE, 2006). Other fashion organisers such as The British Fashion Council (who organise London Fashion Week), refused to impend such bans (ABC NEWS 2009).

In Australia, the Federal Government has commissioned a group of fashion industry leaders to address body dissatisfaction levels among Australia's youth amid concern that the use of spindly models sets unrealistic standards of beauty that encourage young people to crash-diet at the expense of their health (ABC NEWS 2009). A similar rule to that in Mandrid was set by the City of Melbourne council in 2008 for L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Week, where models under BMI of 18 were not supposed to take part. Working backstage on the event, I witnessed two models, be dressed in baggy clothing to hide the fact that they were very underweight, and were still allowed to take part in the show. The two were the most saught after models, sending a message that ‘the skinnier you are the more work you get’. The girls had just returned from a successful modeling trip in New York, were models are told they can only get work with a 24inch waist.

Source: Vogue France April 2008

It is clear that a large quantity of explicitly thin models and characters are portrayed as attractive and competent in the media. The social learning process of modeling (Bandura, 1977 cited in Harrison 1997) provides an explanation for how young women may come to believe in the thin ideal and behave accordingly. Social learning paradigm theorizes that the more attractive an observer finds a social agent, the more the observer will strive to try to be like that agent. As media correlates thinness with attractiveness through beauty advertisements, fashion catalogues, runways and campaigns using explicitly thin models, in terms of a modeling point of view, young women are motivated to engage in behaviors to emulate these models, such as becoming motivated to engage in extreme dieting behavior in order to meet this ideal.

References

ABC NEWS “Group mulls media curbs to tackle negative body image” (03 March 2009)
viewed 25th August 2009 http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/03/2506286.htm

Bearman, S.K., Presnell, K., & Marinez, E. (2006). "The skinny on body dissatisfaction: A longitudinal study of adolescent girls and boys." Journal of Adolescence, 35
Viewed 7th September

DeGroat, Bernie (1997). Media influence eating disorders.
Viewed 29th October

Fay, M. and Price, C. (1994) Female body shape in print advertisements and the increase of anorexia nervosa. European Journal of Marketing 28:12

Gordon, R.A. (2000), Eating Disorders, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford and Malden, MA,
Viewed 17th August

Hargreaves, D. (2002). Idealized Women in TV Ads Make Girls Feel Bad. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 21, 287-308.

Hofschire, L. J., & Greenberg, B. S. (2002). Media's impact on adolescents' body dissatisfaction. In J. D. Brown, J. R. Steele, and K. Walsh-Childers (Eds.) Sexual Teens, Sexual Media. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Harrison, K., (1997) Does Interpersonal Attraction to Thin Media Personalities Promote Eating Disorders? Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Vol. 41, 1997
Viewed on 17th august 2009

THE AGE (2009) “Skinny tyranny killed my model girl” November 17, 2006 - 6:34AM
Viewed 12th September 2009

THE AGE (2006) “Survival of the thinnest” Booth Moore and Sarah Malik October 5, 2006
Viewed 12th September 2006

Tiggemann, Marika (2006). The role of media exposure in adolescent girls’ body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness: Prospective results. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 25(5), 523-541. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from Psychology Module database. (Document ID: 1060410481).

Research Proposal

Title
Media influence on body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in adolescents.

Key Words
Media Exposure, Eating Disorder, Body Satisfaction, Adolescents

Background
Based on data and statistics by the Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria, 2-3% of adolescent and adult females in Australia meet the DSM IV diagnostic criteria for anorexia and bulimia nervosa. It has been estimated that young women of today are exposed to more images of exceptionally beautiful women in one day than there mothers saw throughout their entire adolescents (EDFV 2009). Little & Hoskins (2004) paper address issues related to media, consumerism, and identity construction. It appears that as the exposure to beauty in the media, which is centred on being thin rises, so does the prevalence of body dissatisfaction, and in turns facilitates the onset of eating disorders. This paper will focus on studies based around adolescent males and females. The EDFV (2009) found that onset of anorexia is generally in adolescence and a staggeringly 68% of 15 year old females are on a diet. Concerns regarding body image are generally heightened during adolescence, this is a time where the development of an eating disorder is most likely to occur. Peterson, Paulson & William’s 2007 study examines the relations of adolescents' perceptions media pressures with the development of eating disorder symptoms. Results by Field et al (2001) suggest that the media influence the development of weight concerns and weight control practices among preadolescents and adolescents. As the issue of eating disorders among adolescents is both current and increasing, it is important to find a link between factors that may have an influence, such as the given example, media.

Aims/Purpose:
With a focus group of females in Australia, I will be exploring past research from other western countries such as America, Australia and England which are compatible as they have cultural similarities in terms of types of media and level of media consumption. I would like to examine if and what kind of correlation exists between media and eating disorders focused on weight loss. I would also like to explore the types of media which may be of a stronger influence than others.

Genre
The research topic will be presented in the form of an online blog, these kinds of issues are common on blogs and online forums, imagery presented on blogs are often taken from the type of media I will be focusing on for this topic.





References:

Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria (EDFV)
viewed on 10th August 2009
(www.eatingdisorders.org.au)

Field, A, Camargo, A, Taylor, B, Berkey ,C, Roberts, S and Colditz, G (2001)
Peer, Parent, and Media Influences on the Development of Weight Concerns and Frequent Dieting Among Preadolescent and Adolescent Girls and Boys
PEDIATRICS Vol. 107 No. 1 January 2001, pp. 54-60

Little, N and Hoskins, M. (2004)
"It's an Acceptable Identity": Constructing "Girl" at the Intersections of Health, Media, and Meaning-Making
Child & Youth Services; v26 n2 p75-93 2004

Peterson, K, Paulson, S & Williams, K (2007)
Relations of Eating Disorder Symptomology with Perceptions of Pressures from Mother, Peers and Media in Adolescent Girls and Boys
Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, vol. 57, no. 9-10