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