The Media and Its Effect on Body Image Part IV
The Media and Its Effect on Body Image Part IV
Drastic and Dangerous Measures
Women have taken drastic and dangerous measures to achieve ideal body standards for longer than we believe. In the 19th century, women would wear intensely tight corsets to shrink their waists so a man’s hands could fit around it. they would even have links of their ribs removed to make the smallest corsets fit better (Derenne and Beresin 2-3). In the modern world, the most common form of body distortion is plastic surgery. It’s highly unlikely for a rain-thin woman to have natural DD-sized breasts, yet that standard has been set by the Barbie doll, although her measurements would be physiologically impossible if she were life-sized (Derenne and Beresin 4). Many women have died from complications with plastic surgery. It is clear the cultural normalization of “extreme” is undeniable.
In conclusion of this series, the media has harrowing effects on women and how they view their own bodies. The constant barrage of images of dangerously thin women in the media and the use of Photoshop to alter images to an unnatural extent is the main cause of the distorted body standards and low self-esteem in girls and women nation-wide. It is extremely necessary that the depiction of these unnaturally skinny models and the use of Photoshop to distort a realistic body standard is prohibited because it causes several harmful, mental, physical and psychological effects on women. The percentage of individuals affected by eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia and mental disorders like anxiety and depression is far too high and steps should be taken to decrease these numbers. It is necessary the media takes responsibility in its influence to help stop this detrimental cycle.
If you know someone who is going through an eating disorder you can get more information at the National Eating Disorders website.
The Media and Its Effect on Body Image Part I
The Media and Its Effect on Body Image Part II
The Media and Its Effect on Body Image Part III
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