How Far Does Today's Media Impact on the Desire for Young People to Be Ultra Thin, and How Does This Affect Their Health?

The media are held responsible for the supposed growth of eating disorders in the country. To what extent is this true? The argument about whether the media shapes society or merely reflects current or beginning trends is constantly under debate. This essay is going to explain what the media is, how it influences young people’s body image and in what way it affects young people’s health.

The media is an important aspect of life in our culture. About 95% of people own a Television set and watch an average of 3-4 hours per day. By the end of the last century over 60% of men and 50% of women read a newspaper each day and nearly half of all girls, from the age of 7 read a girls magazine each week. In addition, people interact with a wide variety of other media such as music delivered by cds or videos, and communication via personal computers.

Each form of media has a different purpose and content. The media seek to inform us, persuade us, entertain us and change us. The media also seeks to engage large groups of people so that advertisers can sell them products or services by making them desirable. Other institutions such as governments also engage the public via the media to make ideas and values desirable. Institutions from politics to corporations can use the media to influence our behaviour.

Body image is a person’s perception of his or her own physical appearance. A person with a poor body image will perceive his or her own body as being unattractive or even repulsive to others, while a person with a good body image will see him or herself as attractive as others, or will at least accept his or her current form. Perceived body image is not necessarily related to any objective measure or the average opinion of the other; a person who has a poor body image may be related as beautiful by others, and a person with a good body image may be rated as unattractive by others. Body image is most strongly affected during puberty.

It is believed that young people configure an internalised ideal body and compare their actual or perceived actual shape against the socially represented ideal (Peacock, M 2001). This presents a body image which is elastic in that it will feel different at different times and in different contexts, such as being on a beach in a swimsuit.

The ideal body image has become smaller, thinner and differently shaped over 20 years. The ideal body is now sculptured, pared of fat, with a BMI that would place most models firmly in the anorexic category. With narrow hips, a small waist and rounded breasts, a stature can only be achieved by most women with the help of surgery since the conditions of weight loss breast tissue tends to shrink.

The media often emphasizes sexuality and the importance of physical attractiveness in an attempt to sell products but this may place