Medias Effect on Body Image and Eating Disorders

Media’s Influence on Body Image and Eating Disorders A study was recently done to determine how body image was viewed in society several years ago and how it is viewed in today’s society. When comparing the average model and the American woman, it is stated by Dr. Jonathon Rader, PhD, chief executive and clinical officer of Rader Programs that â€Å"twenty years ago, the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less† (Rader). Twenty to thirty years ago, full figured women were accepted and also admired. Being voluptuous was a sign of wealth and beauty. Women were not obsessed with diet fads, or trying to look a certain way, but were more concerned with eating healthy and were comfortable with the†¦show more content†¦Girls are indoctrinated at a very young age that the well known Barbie doll is how a woman is supposed to look, which includes no fat, but large breasts, and due to that false view of a woman’s body, it is more than likely that young girls today will approach puberty with a negative body image. Although children can develop eating disorders as early as 6 years old, it is typically the teen years where it becomes out of control. Dr. Jonathon Rader says that â€Å"more than half of teenaged girls are, or think they should be, on diets. They want to lose all or some of the forty pounds that females naturally gain between 8 and 14. About three percent of these teens go too far, becoming anorexic or bulimic† (Rader). Almost everyone has heard of the terms â€Å"anorexic† and â€Å"bulimic† whether it was on TV or in a magazine, but not many people know the true facts and dangers that go along with them. They also might not even realize that there are other types of eating disorders that people are dealing with, some of which are not even specified. Exactly what are eating disorders? The Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center’s website was very informative when describing the definitions, causes, effects, and symptoms of each and every type of eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is the properShow MoreRelatedSocial Media has Unhealthy Effect on Young Women647 Words   |  3 Pagesspend a typical day of about 7.5 hours or more on some sort of media. (Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders1) Although men are affected by the downfall of media usage, young women bear the cross. Not only do women have to face the expectations of perfection, but also the discrimination from themselves and others. 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