BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Body Image Does the media influence our body image?

I was just wondering what you all thought about the media influencing our body images...

Do you aspire to look like women in the media?
Isn't it about time that the media portrayed realistic women?
.....

Well, Dove now has an ad campaign that portrays real women. But yes, the media definitely affects how women view themselves. Consider how many women go into plastic surgeons' offices asking to get Angelina Jolie's lips, Scarlett Johansson's breasts, etc.

I always wish I was skinnier because I'm always seeing cute outfits modeled by skinny girls and I think, "Wow! I want to dress like that!" And then I think "But wait...that outfit won't look cute on me because my hips are too wide."

Hi, Karyn.

What a great picture! Maybe we could just aspire to be round and fluffy like your bunnies.

Just as long as I don't have to have long ears and a bushy tail! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I don't understand why just about every movie out have thin beautiful women in it. More times then not their breasts are protruding out of their shirt and/or there is a nude scene (where only the woman�s whole body is shown). I have never been thin and never will be because I am large boned due to my genes. I am obsessed with my weight and struggle with how I look EVERYDAY so seeing how women are in media and movies is very upsetting.

Hi, SueRappid. I'm sorry you're feeling such a struggle with your looks. You are right, a lot of movies do show thin, beautiful women, and when you're not feeling good about yourself, this can be difficult to see. However, I've noticed that during times in my life when I felt good about my body, I didn't pay much attention to pictures of thin beautiful women. It was only when I was in a bad place about my body image that looking at beautiful women was painful. Since you can't control the media, I'd try to focus on accepting your body just as it is, finding things to wear and do that make you feel your best and learning to promote the parts of you you love. You may find the images don't have as great an impact then. Let me know how you're doing, and thanks for sharing.

I am afraid that I am one of those people where the film star's body does effect how I think and diet. Saying that, perhaps I owe them something, otherwise I may be fatter and that means extra work on the heart that will effect me in later years.

yes! media for sure affects the way we, as a society, think of ourselves unfortunately. and the sad thing is it isn't reality. what we see in a magazine isn't real either. its airbrushed. we should all just be happy with who we are.

I'd like to say I'm not affected, but I am. I know logically that it is not real and that I am comparing myself to an illusion, but it's like it's got me on this hypnotic level.

This might be a separate topic, but what do you feel about this? I was shaving my legs the other day, which is generally an uncomfortable and arduous ordeal for me, and I thought, "how sick is it that it was already decided for me before I was even born that I would have to routinely shave off hair that grows naturally on my legs and underarms or else I'm going to have to feel less feminine?" Of course, no one is MANDATING that I shave, but I think that it is just deeply ingrained in our society that if I were to abandon shaving, I would be regarded as less feminine and possibly less attractive. It's just that my skin is really white and my hair folicles are really dark, so whenever I shave, it looks like I haven't. Also, I develope, no matter what advanced razor or shaving cream I'm using, red bumps that only disappear once the hair grows back. It's painful for me and just doesn't make sense to me. I've tried just not shaving, but the result on my confidence was awful, even though I tried to reprogram the way I thought about it. It is just so deeply ingrained in me. At the supermarket there are magazines with girls with tiny skirts and smooth shaven legs and underarms, in the movies, and just in general day to day life. Really, the only hairy women that I've encountered, at least in America, have been extremist feminists or something of that sort.
How do you all feel about shaving? Is it something you don't mind? Or are you like me, feeling like it's unfair that it has already been decided for us that we must shave to adhere to some social code?

Advertising does more harm.

I don't mind shaving -- I actually really like the feel of smooth, unhairy skin. I wax various body parts regularly, because though it hurts more, it does keep the hair away longer.

Lucky are the women who have little hair! I have lots :-(

I agree, it is unfair that we do have to adhere to a social code that states hairless is sexy and attractive. In Europe, there is no such code -- lots of armpit and leg hair there! Social codes are so pervasive, and extend to so many things, from smooth body parts to how to dress when working out. So, do you fight it by doing what you want, or submit to it so as not to stand out?

I believe in being an iconoclast.

Yes I do believe media influences body image. I don't understand why every commercial, television show, movies, magazines, celeberties, etc. have to have womens boobies hanging all out of their shirts. Now it is in society where I live. Everywhere you go women have their breats hangng out. Why can't we just get over this and cover up ourselves. I feel it is very disrespectful and I really don't want my husband to have some other womens boobs thrown in his face every 5 minutes. I am not that unfortuanate but I always cover myself up. There are way to many pervs. and my husband wouldn't let me leave the house in shirts like that. All the shirts in every cataloge or at the mall are all boob shirts now. It takes me forever to find a decent shirt to cover myself for work anymore without having to wear a camisole underneath it.

Now I'm aware of these issues but I wasn't around the age of 14 or so..

I think somewhere there is a little influence of media in all of us. Its not that we really aspire to be like those models on TV but we do wish to look our best-and we often realise it while watching some advert.

ad. agencies have developed the fine art to influence consumers.

Absolutely! I get fustrated to always see the unrealistic expectations that are put on women through the media. I'm all about eating right and exercising, but there are many different body types, and not every woman will have a small frame and wear a size 2, even if they're really fit. I wish that as much money that went into finding the "perfect" bodies to put on the front of all the magazines, instead more attention and money would be put into displaying the huge variety of beautiful women that grace our world. Some companies like Dove are starting to get it. Until everyone else does, I'm afraid we're still going to have an incredible number of girls and women that will suffer from eating disorders and life altering self-esteem issues.

Oh Absolutely!!!!

Look at the ruckus over the Dove Real Beauty campaign. Why the drama over a size 10 woman in her underwear?

I was so happy to hear that for fashion week in Spain the Spanish government required that all models have a minumum BMI of 18. This meant a 5'9" model would have to weight 125 pounds. Not exactly chubby <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> , but a lot better than the malnourished models we have been seeing.

I know I put pressure on myself about my weight. It doesn't help to watch movies and see super thin women. Being healthy is one thing, but I think some of these women are scary thin. I really respect Jennifer Garner who took her time losing the baby weight. She was doing it healthy. I like classic movies, because the women are normal looking. The media is starting to affect men too. Maybe now, something will finally be done about it.

I too have problems finding decent things to wear! And the sizes are totally messed up. I wear a size medium shirt and now that all the clothes are so tight I still feel uncomfortable in an XL (if I can find one!). I like to buy clothing from second hand stores now and frequent garage sales. Another problem I have is that I don't like the cut of jeans! Why do men get to have the loose baggy clothing and we have to wear tight poor fitting clothing?!

It is this media hype that forces many women go on a diet. They are told that it is not OK to be fat. why? A fat person can be healthy.

Hey now, Lets remember ladies that most men out there don't look exactly look like the men we see in media either. I am sure they have issues too and if we expect a man to think we are beautiful just the way we are then we need to accept them the way they are also. I think the beauty issue goes both ways. Too many people are looking for the wrong mate when there true love may be right there but not in the body they are looking for. I think the most beautiful people are not fat or skinny. I think people like people who look like they took time to care about themselves not so much what their body looks like. I really believe beauty comes from within and people know it.

You are absolutely right in saying that beauty comes from within. the problem is attraction of a beautiful body. that is hormones.

I agree that it can go both ways, but I still feel that more pressure is put on women. When you walk in Barnes&Noble and you pass the magazines, there are way more half naked "perfect" photos of women than there are men on the covers. For some reason, I really think women worry about it more than men. And this is something else to think about: How often do you see a really attractive woman with a man that is going bald and that may have gained a few pounds around the mid-section? Now, how often do you see a really attractive guy with a woman who's out of shape? If women and men felt the same kind of pressure from the media then there wouldn't be a need for a discussion such as this one. This is obviously an issue, and I believe it's one that effects women the most.

Yes, I fully agree with you that media projects women as beautiful. that must be causing stress.

Hello my name is haley and i am currently in year twelve at john paul college in australia, at the moment i am doing a project in one of my classes its about the media's impact on a young girls body image and i was wondering if i could interview one of you's on the topic your information and details will be kept completely confedential i only need the information for my final report......if applicable please contact me on my e-mail address which is halz_n_jesska_r@hotmail.com thank you

Why does media not start using ordinary looking people as models? that should help.

it's more about the self- esteem the girls have after viewing media of these models and my hypothesis is that the media has a negative impact on young adolescent girls body image i have to find out why the girls feel this way, what can be done about it

Maybe it's about increasing girls' and womens' self-esteem early, like as toddlers, so when they see these images, it's not as destructive. Ounce of prevention...

You are absolutely correct.

What exactly does realistic women mean? I keep reading and hearing that term and keep on clicking on all kinds of lists of what real women look like and I think this is ridiculous. If I go by what I see, hear and read about what makes a real woman that means I am an imposter not to forget a traitor to my own gender. Why does seeing a thin woman doing harm while seeing a list of fat woman being called real women doing no harm? Either way it does not affect my body image and my self-esteem it just makes me angry to see supposed feminists bringing down women just because they do not fit their women mold while blaming the media and men!