The Impact of Media on Health and Eating Disorders
The Impact of Media on Health and Eating Disorders
At any given point in the day, The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness says that one
in three women will be on a diet and one in four men will be on a diet. The media is a big impact on
peoples desire to change their shape. Looking at beautiful people with seemingly perfect bodies almost
constantly can take a toll on someone's self esteem and view of themselves. The Rader Programs
Center for Eating Disorders’ website states that when asked to choose their ideal body shapes, 30% of
women chose one that is 20% underweight while 44% chose one that is 10% underweight. People
choose what they think is attractive over being in good health. The media distorts people's body images
to think that they need too lose weight and that the thinner someone is the more beautiful and accepted
they are, the media has a huge impact on peoples opinions on weight, body and physique.
What many people don’t realize or remember is that bodies shown in magazines and movies are
not real bodies. They models and movie stars spend hours in the hair and makeup chair and after they
finish shooting their editors spend more hours doctoring up their pictures so they can look exactly they
way they want them too. Also, models go on extreme diet and exercise regimens in order to keep their
career. In a book titled “The Vogue Factor” by Kirstie Clements the most shocking diet used by models
was eating tissues to stay full. According to them they swell up in ones stomach and keeps them full.
And many resort to eating disorders or drug and alcohol abuse to keep their small figure.
Now someone reading this may be asking, “How does this affect people not in this industry?”
the Rader Program Eating Disorder Treatment Center also states that 73% of teenage girls who abuse
diet pills and 79% of teen girls who self-purge frequently read women’s fitness and health magazines.
At any given point in the day, The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness says that one
in three women will be on a diet and one in four men will be on a diet. The media is a big impact on
peoples desire to change their shape. Looking at beautiful people with seemingly perfect bodies almost
constantly can take a toll on someone's self esteem and view of themselves. The Rader Programs
Center for Eating Disorders’ website states that when asked to choose their ideal body shapes, 30% of
women chose one that is 20% underweight while 44% chose one that is 10% underweight. People
choose what they think is attractive over being in good health. The media distorts people's body images
to think that they need too lose weight and that the thinner someone is the more beautiful and accepted
they are, the media has a huge impact on peoples opinions on weight, body and physique.
What many people don’t realize or remember is that bodies shown in magazines and movies are
not real bodies. They models and movie stars spend hours in the hair and makeup chair and after they
finish shooting their editors spend more hours doctoring up their pictures so they can look exactly they
way they want them too. Also, models go on extreme diet and exercise regimens in order to keep their
career. In a book titled “The Vogue Factor” by Kirstie Clements the most shocking diet used by models
was eating tissues to stay full. According to them they swell up in ones stomach and keeps them full.
And many resort to eating disorders or drug and alcohol abuse to keep their small figure.
Now someone reading this may be asking, “How does this affect people not in this industry?”
the Rader Program Eating Disorder Treatment Center also states that 73% of teenage girls who abuse
diet pills and 79% of teen girls who self-purge frequently read women’s fitness and health magazines.