The Pressure to be Thin: Mass Medias Involvement - Essay Example

The Pressure to be Thin: Mass Media’s Involvement Every day, whether we like it or not, we are constantly being fed with various images and information via the mass media – from the time we check the morning paper to the moment we watch late night shows. At best, the mass media has the power to educate and shape the public mind; at worst, it is capable of influencing one’s views, or even brainwashing. To illustrate this point, take for example the fashion industry where designers can set what is in vogue with the aid of effective advertizing using skinny models wearing their crafts. But just how influential are these images presented by the media? Beginning in the 1960s, Americans have grown more and more concerned with obesity and fitness after a national effort was launched to raise everyone’s fitness level (Halvorson and Newman 25). Parallel to this heightened awareness was the dramatic increase in the diagnosed cases of Anorexia Nervosa (Halvorson and Newman 35). While we are aware that Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa are caused by a combination of several factors, this paper shall endeavor only at investigating how the mass media’s omnipresence contributes to the etiology of these disorders. It should be understood that, due to its wide influence in sociocultural and psychological factors, these areas will also be discussed. Comparison and Contrast The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders (ANAD), in its Ten Warning Signs, describes an anorexic as someone who is always preoccupied with controlling food intake (par. 5). He/she “sees himself as fat even if he/she is dangerously thin … [or may] accept that he/she is very thin but cannot accept how dangerous the situation really is” (“Ten Warning Signs,” par. 7-8). On the other hand, bulimics are characterized by ANAD in Seven Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa as someone who alternates binge eating and purging (par. 3). As we shall see later, there are a number of similarities between Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa, the primary unifying factor being that both are characterized by an excessive fear of getting fat. Specifically, the causes of both disorders are rather similar or related. Because of these similarities, Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa shall be treated as one throughout this text. Culture Indeed, there is no denying that in Western societies, being thin is generally desirable. Little wonder then that Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa are most prevalent in industrialized Western nations where ironically, food is not much of a problem. In these countries, slimnastics classes, figure salons and diet centers thrive. Halvorson and Newman agree that one of the most influential factors in the increasing incidence of Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa is the “burgeoning consciousness in nutrition and physical fitness” (24). There is absolutely nothing wrong with this concern as it is only appropriate to take care of one’s health. To some however, this goes overboard when health is deliberately compromised just to attain a slim body. People have started counting calories to death, limiting the input when eating and maximizing the output during exercise and in the process, ignoring the pleasure we are supposed to get from these activities. The common misconception is that one is healthy if he/she is thin. Thin is in While the Western culture is favoring slimness, the media is incessantly promoting it. Indeed, one only has to take a look at magazines, billboards and TV commercials to prove this claim. Skinny models are often seen portraying a good life with a smile that lure, suggesting that one needs to be thin to attain happiness and success. To the food and beverage manufacturers, such campaigns entail losing immense profits, and these giants could not just let that happen. Instead, they had one brilliant solution: going with the trend by modifying their products to make it more “healthy,” hence the birth of sugar-free soft drinks and other beverages labeled as “natural” to replace or substitute for the conventional “unhealthy” drinks – something that could make calorie watchers happy. Low-fat and low-calorie food and diet pills were also popularized and as usual, using extremely thin models portrayed to enjoy consuming these products without gaining an extra pound, or even losing some. Most susceptible to this campaign are youngsters who, as Giordano describes, are “very sensitive to social symbols” (102). These are the type of teenagers who idolize and try to imitate their favorite celebrities. It could be this fantasy to look just like their idols, or an innocent comment rendered by a friend about gaining weight, or having slim friends, or a combination of these, that brings someone to consider dieting. The message though is clear: being thin is certainly in. After all, dieting seems to be so common a practice that one is easily led to believe it is perfectly harmless. Halverson and Newman confirm that the vast majority of individuals diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa are adolescents (21). However, adults too are at risk of developing Anorexia Nervosa. A study conducted by Martinez, Salamero and Toro found that anorexics are largely involved with the “sociocultural agents encouraging weight loss” (“Assessment of Sociocultural Influences,” par. 1). In other words, individuals who are exposed to an environment that gives emphasis to a slim body, say at the workplace or in the family, are susceptible to Anorexia Nervosa, regardless of age. And the pressure is only getting more serious. A study that compared Playboy and Miss America models from the 1960s through the 1970s found that models are getting skinnier (qtd. in Giordano 103). Indeed, some of today’s models are of anorexic proportions, but with a little makeup and a sexy pose, the media can turn them into instant celebrities. ANAD, in its General Information page, provides us with an illustration proving that this is not an exaggeration: If we took an average 5’2” woman, age 22 and normal weight of 25 lbs. and expected her to fit the Barbie image, she would have to be 7’2” tall. (par. 14) We are all aware that Barbie is a popular doll for girls. This signifies that even innocent children are not free from the pressure to be thin. With the mass media’s continuous promotion of these images, the pressure never seems to die. The Person Within Anyone with a sound reasoning ability could argue that certainly not everyone would react in an extreme manner to such promotions and send one into a dieting frenzy. While our daily thoughts may be influenced by what we see on TV, common sense would tell us what is reasonable and irrational, what is harmful and what is not. What then makes one anorexic or bulimic? This is where personality comes into play. More often than not, anorexics and bulimics are found to have low self-esteem and/or fear of rejection (Halverson and Newman 13, 52). In the eyes of an anorexic or bulimic, he/she is never too good at anything or too ugly to be taken seriously. This thinking may very well be exacerbated by the popularity of having a slim body and the easiest solution available is no less than dieting. Halverson and Newman assert that to an anorexic, thinness is “often believed to be the magical solution to life’s problems” (2). Moreover, anorexics tend to be perfectionists and people pleasers (Halverson and Newman 24). On the surface, these people don’t seem to have problems at all. Halverson and Newman observe that many anorexics are doing well in school and are generally described as well-mannered (12-13). They go an extra mile just so people will like them, and in a society where slimness is desirable, it is not surprising that these individuals pick up on such ideal. Combine this with a perfectionist attitude and dieting will certainly be taken too seriously or, in an anorexic’s case, done excessively. If even the slightest flaw upsets an anorexic, not being able to meet society’s ideals are all the more distressing. Internal and External To vindicate its self, the media can easily say that their promotions sell because people themselves like the idea of having a slim body. Indeed, it would be unfair to point fingers solely to the mass media. As a business venture, it is capitalizing on public interests. It should be re-emphasized at this point that the causes of Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa are a combination of internal and external factors which may or may not involve the media. The safest way to put it is that the media merely acts as a catalytic agent to the development of these eating disorders. If we are to believe the statistical figures that indicate an increasing incidence of these disorders, we could therefore say that the media’s influence to the society is escalating to a dangerous level as well. Works Cited “General Information: What Causes Eating Disorders?” ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders. 20 Feb. 2005. 03 Dec. 2008 . Giordano, Simona. Understanding Eating Disorders: Conceptual and Ethical Issues in the Treatment of Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. New York: Oxford UP Inc., 2005. Halvorson, Patricia, and Patricia Newman. Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: A Handbook for Counselors and Therapists. New York: Reinhold Company Inc., 1983. “Seven Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa.” ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders. 20 Feb. 2005. 03 Dec. 2008 . “Ten Warning Signs.” ANAD National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders. 20 Feb. 2005. 03 Dec. 2008 . Toro J., M. Salamero and E. Martinez . “Assessment of Sociocultural Influences on the Aesthetic Body Shape Model in Anorexia Nervosa.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. Mar. 1994. 03 Dec. 2008 Read More