Media Body Image

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Media and Body Image January 05,2013 In 1959 Ruth Handler created a doll known as Barbie. She is thin, with big breasts and a small waist. If Barbie were a real person her measurements would be an impossible 36-18-38 (Bellis). Young girls are brain washed at a young age to think that Barbie is realistic, they grow up wanting to be thin and look just like her. Fifty years later, women and men are even more obsessed with body image than ever. With the media promoting overly thin super models, it is causing today’s society to obsess with trying to obtain an unrealistic body. Women and men today are so obsessed with their looks and body image; it is causing the rise of plastic surgery, depression, Anorexia, Bulimia, eating disorder treatment…show more content…
According to the National Mental Health Association, about one in every eight women will develop depression at some point during her lifetime. Women are more prone to depression then men. The symptoms of depression can cause significant distress in one’s life and affect their ability to function in everyday life. Depression can affect one’s social life, love life, relationships with family and friends along with their career. Depression can cause the feeling of sadness for a prolonged period of time. Insomnia and a loss of energy can affect the quality of an individual’s life. Mood swings and a change in appetite (increase or decrease) are signs of depression. Depression can be treated with the use of antidepressant medications or psychotherapy. Antidepressants are successful in 60 to 80% of patients and there are more than two dozen different types on the market (Stanford University). Depression can also lead to anxiety and eating…show more content…
This is called Bulimia Nervosa. Bulimia nervosa is a serious eating disorder in which an individual eats an extremely large amount of food and then purges to avoid gaining weight. Two to three in one hundred American women suffer from bulimia (DMH). It is less dangerous than Anorexia Nervosa, but can lead to serious medical conditions. Some symptoms from bulimia are erosion of the teeth from acid and stomach ulcers may occur. People with bulimia often eat a large quantity of food in a short period of time and then have feelings of guilt. They often purge or improperly use laxatives in order to prevent weight gain. People think with the use of laxatives it will cause them to lose weight in a short period of time. With the improper use of laxatives it causes the depletion of potassium, which then in turn causes the sodium levels to build up. When the sodium levels increase it causes the belly to bloat. So initially when a person uses laxatives the immediate result is weight loss but in the long run it can actually make you weigh more (Rister). When a person depletes the potassium from their system it can cause stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fainting. Laxatives are made for the use of constipation and not weight loss. They should not be used for longer than one
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