How do we decide what is a beautiful body? At first sight, this question seems to be ridiculous for most people are convinced that their perception of the ‘right’ body parameters is something they are born with. In the meantime, the research on this question reveals that this perception is largely formed by the outside world and especially by how the media presents body standards. Since there have been a lot of debates regarding the problem of distorted body images stimulated by the media, it was decided to research this problem in details. The research has revealed that idealized thin images used in the media are associated with such adverse effects as low self-esteem, depression, and the development of poor eating habits. In this regard, scholars and researchers alike hypothesize solutions to this problem include media literacy, the use of average-sized models, and the education on the myths and realities of media representation. This paper will present the key research findings beginning with the specific adverse effects that are described in the literature and finishing with the possible ways to minimize these effects (i.e. increasing media literacy and using the images of average-sized models instead of idealized models).
First and foremost, the researchers studying the problem of body image and the media agree on the point that the use of idealized body images in the media has an adverse effect on how individuals perceive themselves and their bodies.
Thus, for example, Haas et al. (2016) argue that the negative consequences of an exposure to idealized media imagery include lowered self-esteem, depression, and negative self-perception. The researchers’ hypothesis is underpinned by their study which uses a large sample 160 female college students.
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"Body Image and the Media".
Similarly, Diedrichs and Lee (2011) assert that the exposure to distorted body images in the media (that is the images of unnaturally thin models) are associated with the dissatisfaction with the body and the development of eating disorders. Moreover, the research by Mclean, Paxton, and Wertheim (2016) reveals that some individuals are more vulnerable than others in this regard. Thus, they explain that those who have higher critical thinking ability are better protected from the negative media effect since they can differentiate between idealized (and, importantly, fake) model images in the media and the reality. It follows, then, that the problem of body image and the media is one of those themes that should be necessarily discussed within the frame of the health communication discourse and that the central question, here, is related to how the adverse effects that the media produces on body perception can be minimized.
Second, one possible solution to minimize the adverse effect of the media on body perception, as it can be determined from the review of the literature in the given field, is media literacy. This protective factor is described in the study by Mclean et al. (2016). In this study, the researchers use CTTM scale and STAC to evaluate the level of media literacy and beliefs about body in 259 secondary students who compose the sample. Based on the study findings, Mclean et al. (2016) come to the conclusion that developed critical thinking allows students to better differentiate between idealized model bodies and the real healthy body parameters. The researchers, thereby, conclude that this critical thinking can be developed with the help of media literacy training which should help to teach individuals to protect themselves from illusions about body standards and to understand that the images offered by the media are not related to the reality. Thus, it can be argued that media literacy or, more specifically, the increase of media literacy in individuals is a strategy that can be used to solve, to some extent, the problem of distorted perception of body caused by the exposure to idealized body images in the media. The question, consequently, arises as to the specific measures that should be taken to increase media literacy.
Finally, it has turned out that media literacy can be increased not only by the individuals who want to increase it but also by the media that can change its approach to body representation. In this regard, Diedrichs and Lee (2011) assert that the media should make a shift from presenting body through idealized thin models to presenting it through normal average-sized models. Otherwise stated, they suggest that the problem should be solved by eliminating the cause. The researchers’ hypothesis is underpinned by the study with a large sample composed of 291 Australians aged 17-25 years old. It can be, thereby, concluded that the problem of distorted body image caused by the exposure to idealized media images can and should be addressed from both sides: on the one hand, individuals should develop their critical thinking skills to protect themselves from adopting idealized media images as a model and, on the other hand, the media should avoid using idealized images given the adverse psychological effect that they produce on individuals and that has been proven by many studies.
To summarize, it can be concluded that the exposure to idealized body images in the media poses significant threats to an individual. Apart from the direct psychological threats such as low self-esteem and depression, there are also indirect physical threats such as the development of eating disorders. One possible way to address this problem is to increase media literacy in individuals so that they can better differentiate between normal body standards and abnormal images presented by thin models in the media. Interestingly, it has been found out that the problem should be likewise addressed on the part of the media: it should avoid using the images of idealized model bodies given the adverse effects they produce on individuals. These findings constitute a solid base for a discussion that can be held in the frame of health communications discourse. This discussion should elucidate such themes as the threats that media poses to individuals and, more specifically, the way they perceive their bodies as well as the available solutions to prevent these threats.
- Diedrichs, P. C., & Lee, C. (2011). Waif goodbye! Average-size female models promote positive body image and appeal to consumers. Psychology & Health, 26(10), 1273-1291. doi:10.1080/08870446.2010.515308
- Haas, C. J., Pawlow, L. A., Pettibone, J., & Segrist, D. J. (2016). An Intervention for the Negative Influence of Media on Body Esteem. College Student Journal, 405-418. Retrieved March 25, 2018
- Mclean, S. A., Paxton, S. J., & Wertheim, E. H. (2016). Does Media Literacy Mitigate Risk for Reduced Body Satisfaction Following Exposure to Thin-Ideal Media? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(8), 1678-1695. doi:10.1007/s10964-016-0440-3
