Atchison 1

Kadelyn Atchison

Nate Hellmers

English Comp. II

23 July 2020

The Impact of Media on Body Images of Young Women

Early in my personal life, I have seen many people struggle with their body image and

physical appearance. I have seen people who have been affected significantly by popularized

beauty standards, peer influence, images in the media, personal experiences, family environment,

and medical conditions. Throughout my life, I have spent time researching and learning about

how the media affects certain people and how worldwide beauty standards can influence

someone’s mental and physical state, especially in women. Extensive literature has focused on

the media influences on the body images of women. Several studies have examined the

relationship between the impact that media has had on women and their body image as

adolescents, as well as their current relationship with the media and their body image. They also

have examined if women feel that the media accurately portrays women in magazines and TV

shows. 10,000 women and girls in thirteen different countries were interviewed for the 2016

Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report, and sixty percent felt a need to meet society’s

beauty standards (“Body Image”). Media has a definite role in defining the body images of

women and girls around the globe. It not only influences them in determining their body images

as adolescents but also continues to influence them in their adulthood. It can also be a component

of many serious disorders, and it is critical that women learn to change their body images

towards a healthy and positive view of themselves.

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The term ​Body Image​ refers to the way a person views their own physical appearance,

and how they feel or act in response to their perceived appearance (“Body Image”). A person’s

body image can change over time through personal experiences, family environments, medical

conditions, or even through the unrealistic beauty standards popularized on social media. If you

looked at images of women in magazines from decades ago, you would see women of all

different shapes and sizes. Today, if you were to look at a magazine cover or an advertisement,

chances are you would see that the woman being shown is tall and unrealistically thin. Our

society and media today have started to cast out those who do not fit the ideal image of beauty.

“Critics have argued that the lack of realistic bodies in media, particularly in advertising,

negatively affects individuals’ body image” (“Body Image”). Companies that use digitally

manipulated images of unrealistic looking bodies for their advertisements create expectations

that cannot reasonably be met. The problems with media lie mainly within adolescents, and they

are especially affected by social pressures insisting on this ideal shape, size, and weight. Several

studies reveal the body image issues in children and adolescents. According to a report in 2015

by Common Sense Media (“Body Image”), girls who see their mothers being unhappy with their

bodies were more likely to report being unhappy with their own.

Adolescence is a term to identify a complex time when a younger person begins to

develop a sense of themself, psychologically, in order to figure out who they are as individuals.

Certain body changes and puberty can negatively affect an adolescent’s body image. “Hormones

that drive physical development also lead to changes in mood that affect how teenagers perceive

their bodies” (“Body Image”). The main issue is the simple fact that teenagers all develop at

different rates. Seeing others that have developed at a different rate than their own can lead to
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negative feelings about their bodies. As a society, we have learned to compare ourselves to other

individuals, especially during adolescence because the body is beginning to develop physically.

This mostly occurs within teenage girls. “Retailers offer an increasingly wide selection of

sexualized clothing for girls, such as t-shirts or shorts embossed with provocative messages,

tight-fitting outfits, or clothing that offers little covering” (“Body Image”). Pressures within

clothing stores, along with puberty’s physical changes, significantly contribute to girls’ anxieties

about body image. Buying products to construct an image can confuse an adolescent’s sense of

self even further. The idea that you can “buy” a self-image is where the psychological damage to

self-perception can begin. Therefore, physical characteristics can matter more than the person

themselves.“Toys, cartoons, advertisements, and other media intended for young children often

feature exaggerated bodies. Thus, in children’s media, female characters are often presented as

impossible thin while male characters exhibit excessive muscle mass. The physiologies of such

body types often defy the laws of physics, providing an unattainable standard of beauty” (“Body

Image”). Some people have strong desires to compare themselves to others with impossible

standards. Exposure to unrealistic physical beauty standards can have long-lasting effects on a

person’s own body image. It is common for many adolescents to feel lost and to struggle in order

to “find themselves” in a world where we are constantly being told to fit into a certain mold or

category. It becomes extremely important from a developmental standpoint for a young girl to

begin to have a positive sense of identity because this will ultimately affect her development as

an adult.

Most young people learn about how society defines the ideal physique, or beauty

standard, from different forms of media, including print advertisements and digital media. The
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ideal body image for females portrayed in the media has recently become unrealistically thin.

Additionally, popular role models, movie and television stars, female athletes, or models only

confirm this unrealistic beauty standard. It is a standard that is nearly impossible and

unattainable for women to achieve because it is glamorized by social media, and it can

negatively influence the way many women perceive their bodies. People of color, people with

disabilities, and people with certain body types are typically underrepresented in the media.

However, social media has also recently been used to promote body positivity and celebrate

diversity. In 2004, Dove, a company that makes personal care products, created the Campaign

for Real Beauty that makes print and television advertisements featuring women of varying sizes

and shapes. Since the Dove campaign started, more and more companies and brands have been

starting to feature models who do not fit the typical model “standard” that is expected through

social media. The magazine ​Sports Illustrated ​chose plus-size model Ashley Graham for one of

the three covers used for its annual swimsuit issue in 2016 (“Body Image”). Adolescents are told

who to be, what to be, and where to be on a daily basis by advertisements and television shows,

which can make it difficult for young people to be their own person.

Media can affect people in many ways. Unable to attain a fantasy level of idealized

beauty, a person’s mental and physical health could be affected. According to the South Carolina

Department of Mental Health (DMH), “95% of those who have eating disorders are between the

ages of 12 and 25.” Though, eating disorders are not the only effects of social pressures to be an

ideal shape. Other effects include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and

body dysmorphic disorder. Another result of negative body image is body dysmorphic disorder

and can be caused by a distorted self-perception caused by “flaws” in their appearance (“Body
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Dysmorphic Disorder”). Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is often called imagined ugliness, and

it is an obsession with an imperfection a person may have. The imperfection usually only exists

in the person's mind. 5 million people in the United States may have BDD, and while the

disorder affects both men and women of any age, adolescence is usually the most common time

a person may have this disorder.

This graph on eating disorders shows the prevalence of only three common conditions. Though it
may appear that eating disorders are not very common, they are serious, life-threatening
disorders. All eating disorders are associated with serious, chronic health conditions.
Individuals with anorexia and bulimia nervosa are at an increased risk for suicide. Sufferers are
also at higher risk of dying from physical health complications related to starvation or related
behaviors such as purging.
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Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that can be caused by a negative body image and includes

starving the body to stay thin, and can result in major health problems, even death. People with

anorexia normally restrict the number of calories and the types of food they eat. They usually do

not eat enough to sustain normal body weight and experience fear related to gaining weight

(“Anorexia Nervosa”). Anorexia can affect people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, races,

and ethnicities, although the disorder most frequently begins during adolescence and an

increasing number of children and older adults are also being diagnosed with anorexia. Bulimia

nervosa is a condition in which a person binge eats, or eats a very large amount of food for a

short period of time. The person usually then attempts to avoid gaining that weight by vomiting,

misusing laxatives or diuretics, fasting, or exercising excessively. Bulimia nervosa usually

occurs more frequently than anorexia nervosa. This disorder is mainly common in women, and

usually about 1.5 percent of women develop bulimia in their lifetime (“Graphs on Eating

Disorders”). Binge eating disorder is very similar to bulimia nervosa, yet a very severe,

life-threatening disorder caused by eating large amounts of food in a short amount of time. It is

usually done very quickly and to the point of discomfort. People commonly feel a loss of control

during binge eating; experiencing shame and guilt afterwards (“Binge Eating Disorder”). Low

self-esteem and depression can also cause females to over-eat, which is another negative health

risk caused by body dissatisfaction. Binge eating is the most common eating disorder in the

United States.

Today’s media and our society have begun to cast out those who do not fit the ideal

image of beauty and many people are being seriously affected. It is becoming more and more

difficult for people to feel accepted into society. In her article, Flora argues that people are not
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objective when judging their own looks and are more beautiful than they think they are. People

usually focus more on imperfections that others don't see because everyone else is too worried

about their own appearance to notice. Understanding your own self-perceptions is the key to

stopping the obsession about your looks (Flora). Everyone has the ability to change how other

people view them without any kind of physical transformation. When you convince yourself that

you look good, others usually see the same. Understanding your own perception of yourself

helps you stop obsessing over your appearance. When building your own well-being and positive

mental health, you need to separate ourselves from the judgments of others as well as your own

self-judgements.

Over time, the media has started to wreck the way a person views their own physical

appearance, and how they feel or act in response to their perceived appearance. A person’s body

image can change over time through their personal experiences, family environments, medical

conditions, or even through the unrealistic beauty standards popularized on social media. It has

been proven that the media significantly influences the body images of women. Research has

shown how the media affects certain people as well as how beauty standards around the world

can greatly influence a person’s mental and physical health. Several studies have shown the

relationship between the impact that media has had on women and their body image as

adolescents, as well as their current relationship with the media and their body image. Problems

with body image and the effects of social pressures to fit the ideal beauty standards also results in

eating disorders among most women, which include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa,

binge-eating disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder. The media has a definite role in defining

the body images of women and girls around the world. It not only influences them in
 Atchison 8

determining their body images as adolescents but also continues to influence them in their

adulthood. It is a component of many serious disorders, and it is critical that women learn to

change their body images towards a healthy and positive view of themselves.
 Atchison 9

Works Cited

“Anorexia Nervosa.” ​National Eating Disorders Association​, 28 Feb. 2018,

www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/anorexia. Accessed 30 July

2020.

“Binge Eating Disorder.” ​National Eating Disorders Association​, 22 Feb. 2018,

www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/bed. Accessed 30 July 2020.

"Body Image." ​Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection,​ Gale, 2019. ​Gale In Context:

Opposing Viewpoints​,

link-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/PC3010999221/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=O

VIC&xid=d1ce679c. Accessed 27 July 2020.

“Body Dysmorphic Disorder.” ​Mayo Clinic​, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and

Research, 29 Oct. 2019,

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/body-dysmorphic-disorder/symptoms-causes/sy

c-20353938. Accessed 27 July 2020.

Flora, Carlin. "Individuals Should Focus on Self-Acceptance." ​The Culture of Beauty,​ edited by

Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. ​Gale In Context: Opposing

Viewpoints,​

link-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EJ3010659216/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC
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&xid=88741a84. Accessed 29 July 2020. Originally published as "The Beguiling Truth

About Beauty," ​Psychology Today,​ May-June 2006, pp. 62-72.

“Graphs on Eating Disorders - Mirror.” ​Mirror​, 11 June 2020,

mirror-mirror.org/facts-staticstics/graphs-on-eating-disorders. Accessed 27 July 2020.

Nutricise.com. "Body Dysmorphic Disorder." ​Body Image​, edited by Auriana Ojeda, Greenhaven

Press, 2003. Teen Decisions. ​Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,​

https://link-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EJ3010304205/OVIC?u=dayt30401&

sid=OVIC&xid=3227a680. Accessed 29 July 2020. Originally published as "Body

Dysmorphic Disorder: The Ugly Disease," ​Nutricise.com​, 2000.

South Carolina Department of Mental Health. “South Carolina Department of Mental Health.”

Eating Disorder Statistics,​ www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm. Accessed 27

July 2020.