Why do we think
we're fat when we're not? Blame the media
By Tatiana Southam
November 7, 2005 | Research
shows that "most college-age women believe that 'guys
like thin girls,' that being thin is crucial to physical
attractiveness, and that they are not as thin as men
would like," according to the text Society: The Basics.
Where do these college-age women
come up with these ideas? It's simple. The answer is
everywhere we turn -- the media. Although "media messages
screaming 'thin is in' may not directly cause eating
disorders," the National Eating Disorders Association
(NEDA) reported, "they help to create the context within
which people learn to place a value on the size and
shape of their body."
The way the media portrays women
has influenced a growing number of women to develop
eating disorders, the NEDA reported. They added that
over 80 percent of women in the United States are dissatisfied
with their bodies, and that "as many as 10 million females
and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle
with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia."
The Women's
Center at Virginia Tech said there are many other
factors that contribute to someone developing an eating
disorder, like genetics, dieting, and depression. A
good majority, however, lies in the hands of the media.
Logan, a college town itself, has
its own college-age women believing "thin is in." According
to the web site "Eating Disorders Mirror Mirror,"
it's no wonder college students develop eating disorders
with their independent lifestyle and the new responsibilities
they carry.
Although Logan is a small community,
there are people all around us who suffer from eating
disorders. How can they not when they're bombarded everywhere
by images from the media? They feature thin and "desirable"
women and men on the covers of magazines in grocery
stores, in newspapers, on television, in advertisements,
in movies and on billboards. The media has a strong
effect on people, but not very many are aware of this
problem.
The NEDA conducted a study that showed
1 out of every 3.8 commercials sends an "attractiveness
message," estimating that the average adolescent views
over 5,260 of those types of messages a year.
According to the article "The Thinning
of Women on Television" from the University of Florida,
women account for 90-95 percent of people with eating
disorders,and the amount of time she spends watching
television has a direct correlation with how dissatisfied
she is with her body. "Those who watch television at
least three nights a week are 50 percent more likely
than non-viewers to feel overweight or fat," they added.
Also, there are over ten times more advertisements in
women's magazines that suggest weight loss than in men's
magazines, reported the NEDA.
Groups that are popular here at Utah
State, like minorities, youth, and athletes, are also
at high risk for developing eating disorders, reported
Anorexia Nervosa and
Associated Disorders (ANAD).
People with eating disorders are
just about everywhere, and people need to realize this
is a real issue in our own backyards, not just a problem
that exists miles and miles away.
The NEDA reported that over 90 percent
of females surveyed on a college campus admitted to
controlling their weight through dieting.
Reba Stringham, a senior at USU,
said the media and television shows she watched contributed
to her developing bulimia. "I watched a lot of television
growing up, and I would always compare myself with the
skinny celebrities. I hated how I looked, and I was
looking for an easy way out," she said.
Why do people idolize celebrities
like Lindsey Lohan, Nicole Richie, Kate Moss, Hillary
Duff and Kate Hudson? It's simple, they look skinny
and pretty. "We're overloaded by images of thin celebrities--people
who often weigh far less than their healthy weight,"
reported TeensHealth.
The media fails, however, to tell the public that celebrities'
pictures are often edited and airbrushed to look more
attractive.
The media gives out false impressions
and they have a lot of power over our self esteem and
how we view our own bodies.
"It's sad that the media plays
such a large role in our lives," said Amy Lehnardt,
a junior at USU.
Lehnardt suffered from bulimia at
14, and said that the media and her peers played a big
role in her eating disorder. "The media was always there
and telling you how you should be and act, and for a
young girl, that's what I wanted to look like," she
said.
The two most common types of eating
disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa reported
TeensHealth. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
said people with anorexia limit their intake of food
because they're extremely afraid of gaining weight and
believe they're not thin when they really are. They
describe bulimia as bingeing (or eating a lot of food
in a short amount of time) and then purging (whether
it's throwing up, taking laxatives, or other pills).
Both are life-threatening if they are not taken care
of.
In addition, Danae Olsen, a nutritionist
at Avalon, said anorexia and bulimia are the number
one killers as far as mental disorders go.
NW
CC |
