The Media, Body Image & Eating Disorders

It is a fact that in the United States, Eating Disorders affect large groups of people. It is estimated that anywhere from 5-10 million adolescent girls and women will struggle with eating disorders and their accompanying borderline conditions and in their shadow, about 1 Million boys and men will struggle with this psychopathology. In total, the existing number of people with eating disorders is almost triple to the number of people living with AIDS. (In the US, a recorded 664,921 people are living with the AIDS virus). Eating disorders are becoming a national epidemic. Society is daily bombarded with messages that 'thin' and 'success' are equal. Natural beauty has not only been compromised by the media, but is constantly under attack by the non-diversification of body image types for societal identification among advertising and mass media. In this paper, we will examine what eating disorders are, how the media exerts influence upon culture, eating and body image stereotyping and lastly, how we can act to create an awareness of proper body image, eating habits and media accountability.

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tates, it is estimated that one out of every three and one half television commercials communicates a message about attractiveness equating with success. The Journal of Communication (1992) reports that the average adolescent views over 5,260 'attractiveness messages' in a one year period of time. In a recent People magazine survey, 80% of responding women answered that the images of women they view in the movies and regularly on television make them feel insecure about their own body image. It is a fact that actors Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz and singer Diana Ross all meet the medical Body Mass Index physical criteria for Anorexia. Elizabeth Hurley (actress/model) stated something intriguing in Allure Magazine. It centers on the entire issue of body imaging: "I've always thought Marilyn Monroe looked fabulous, but I'd kill myself if I was that fat." Marilyn Monroe was considered the ideal for all women in 1950. Marilyn Monroe set the beauty standard for that generation as a frame of 5'5" with a weight of 135 pounds. Interesting to note that this ideal of 1950 is now the average size of today's female, yet it is no longer the ideal. In contrast, Pamela Anderson (a Playboy centerfold) is supposed to be the voluptuous ideal
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2763
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)

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