Body Image and Media Literacy

Following this topic you should be able to…

• Define and describe body image, from a bodywhys perspective

• Develop an understanding of what media literacy is and how to best achieve it

• Adopt a healthier and more informed attitude toward one’s own self-image, enabling you to be more equipped mentally to help a caller in need

Body Image•How we perceive ourselves or our idealized selves

•50% of women in the western world admit to harbouring insecurities about their appearance and body dissatisfaction (Bearman, Presnell and Martinex, 2006)

•Body dissatisfaction is one of the prominent risk factors associated with the development of eating disorders (Shaw et al., 2004)

Positive Body Image Tips• Cherish your body and use it as a

tool to enrich the fullness of life• Being healthy means living healthy

– looking after yourself and eating well will make you feel good on the outside

• Use daily affirmations – concentrate on a part of yourself you like and communicate to yourself that you are grateful for what you have

• Do not try to look like anyone else – you are unique, so aim to embrace and accept your own individual beauty

The Media and Body Image

• The media, through bolstering images of unrealistically “thin” women, plays a role in the manufacturing of unhealthy body images (APA, 2007)

• A study carried out amongst a group of Fijian adolescents whom had never before been exposed to television evidenced this effect. Following a substantial time period of television consumption, Becker et al. (2002) found that participants began to display significantly more disordered eating attitudes and bulimic behaviours.

Media Literacy• In light of this, a number of

media literacy campaigns have been developed

• Media literacy involves:• being sceptical in how one

perceives images and information in the media

• Realising that what is projected from the media should not be taken at face value.

• Understanding that with the availability of modern day technologies such as photo-shop, the media can virtually manipulate any image that they wish in order to sell their product (Stormer & Thompson, 1995,1998).

Beauty…a media-defined concept throughout the ages

Prehistoric Beauty:Wide hips were the quintessential beauty must have, as seen here sported by the fertility Goddess

Botticelli’s Birth of Venus (1400s)

Beauty is depicted here by soft features and womanly curves

Mona Lisa – a timeless beauty (1500s)

Ruben’s The Three Graces – curvier shaped women are embraced as beautiful (1600s)

1700s –Pale skin signifies wealth and status

The 1800s – Women began to “suffer for beauty”, wearing uncomfortable corsets to achieve the idealised 18-inch waist

1900s 1920s

The hourglass body shape

Flat-chested body shapes, which suited the flapper style dress were extremely popular

1950s 1960s

The first sex symbol emerged in the form of the iconic Marilyn Monroe, who embodied a fuller figure

Heroin chic was born in the sixties. Fashionistas such as Twiggy and Edie Segdewick popularised this deathly pale look

1970s 1980s

Exercising became extremely popular in the 70s and 80s. The typical model in this era was long and lean.

1990sKate Moss pioneered the waif-thin look which was heavily sought after in the 1990s

The Extremities of Today

Model Valeria Lukyanova, 23, has gained fame through the extreme lengths she has gone to in order to achieve a Barbie like appearance

Before After

Excessive and unnecessary plastic surgery

Unnaturally thin physiques

….Today continued

The Impact of Technology on Body Image

• If technical difficulties are experienced, the link to this video is provided below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XF66Ku4a9U

AirbrushingSince the advent of digital technology, media professionals have been distorting and manipulating photos to fit in with societal beauty ideals

• Airbrushing:

• Endorses celebrities and sell products

• Leads to body dissatisfaction, unrealistic expectations, and disordered eating within consumers

Quiz

Click Here When

Finished Quiz

Instructions: Which of the following celebrities has the perfect female body, according to the media? Please click on your selection

Incorrect: Plastic Fantastic

Top British plastic surgeon Alex Karidis has suggested that Salpa appears to have had up to €20,000 worth of cosmetic surgery.(Sunday World, 2012)

Georgia SalpaClick here to try again

Kim Kardashian

Incorrect: Orange Peel Kim Kardashian is known for having a problem with cellulite on her legs and thighs

Click here to try again

Kate Upton

Incorrect: The fashion industry have notoriously labelled this beauty as “too fat”

Click here to try again

Andrej Pejić

Andrej is in fact a man

Click here to try again

In other words..• Everybody has flaws• There is no such thing as “the perfect

body”• Image is as powerful as it is superficial• Beauty is as subjective as it is diverse

If you are experiencing problems with this video please see the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJPUoxFkFsY

To summarise…• The media can serve to injure peoples’ body

image through yielding unrealistically thin beauty ideals

• Hours of make-up, hair and photo-shopping can allow celebrities to appear as though they are “perfect”

• Beauty is a socio-culturally defined concept that is fickle and ever-changing