20 Oct 2012. . This article it discusses the tragic numbers of people have eating disorders, and how the media’s promotion of an ideal body promotes it. An estimated 8 million Americans currently suffer from eating disorders. The media has glamorized extremely thin women resulting in many young girls feeling inferior. A study published in the Journal of Communication found that high school girls as young as thirteen are affected by the media’s portrayal of ultra-thin models and celebrities.
In Amanda Fazzone’s article “Boob Tube,” she explains how TV. show heroines are empowered only because they “bask in the sex object role,” even though NOW (National Organization for Women) states that these “intelligent” and “well-rounded” women are able to “break out of the sex object role and portray authentic people.” Fazzone questions NOW’s credibility for their criterion of their idea of authentic and intelligent women. “If heroines like Felicity are empowered, it’s only because they’ve decided that what really drives female power is sex,” Fazzone states at the beginning of the article. Fazzone takes a stand against NOW asking how they choose their endorsements. NOW explains that their endorsements are intelligent, well-rounded authentic women, but Fazzone wants to know if they are really women who bask in the sex object role, and what are the shows NOW endorses are really about?
In this process individuals compare their description of themselves as they are, with their description of themselves as they would like to become. Self-esteem depends then on the ability to live up to one's ideals. Self-esteem: The term self-esteem is used in psychology to describe a person's overall emotional evaluation of their own worthiness. The concept of self esteem assumes that the result of this reflection determines further the attitude towards the self, affecting the individual in aspects like motivation, attitudes, confidence and the overall emotional well being. Some theories suggest that self-esteem is a basic human need or motivation.
At week four, food intake and appetite were assessed before and after a “preload”. At week 6, food intake was assessed under stressful conditions. Results showed that at both assessments session’s women in the diet condition ate more than women in the exercise and non-treatment conditions. This supports the boundary model because the study demonstrates that when restraining food intake because of the gap between hungers, its satiety becomes wider, therefore the dieters ate more. The restraint theory proposes an association between food restriction and overeating.
A Rhetorical Analysis on Media’s Influence on the Ideal Body Image Everywhere we look media seems to be portraying body images that lack what used to be known as “sexy curves” and possess more bone than anything else. Whether it be an advertisement in magazines or reality shows such as America’s Next Top Model on television, word has traveled that the thinner you are the better. The roles that obese characters play in movies or on television are negative more often than not. They are viewed as unsuccessful, lacking friends, family, and love. The slender, “beautiful” women are regarded as influential, successful, and erotic.
“Dieting often fails because people are trying to go against their biological drive to eat.” Discuss explanations for the success and failure of dieting. Dieting is extremely common and research has shown that up to 70% of women diet at some stage in their lives. Some diets are successful, whereas some are not and there are many explanations for this. One explanation for why dieting is successful is that those with low self-esteem and are dissatisfied with their body are more likely to stick to their diet and lose weight. Ogdens’ 2000 study supports this view; he investigated differences in psychological factors between weight loss regainers and weight loss maintainers.
Dehumanizing Women in Advertising Advertisements are put in place to entice the consumer into spending their money on something more often than not, useless. Whether it is a new vacation spot or a cashmere sweater at an over-priced department store, the object of the campaign is to appeal to the general population. When researchers analyzed techniques in advertising, they found a significant pattern that parallels an overwhelming phenomenon around the world; the objectification of women. Although it is not as obvious as the pornography industry, advertising uses women as a mere display case for the product, over-highlighting the physical attributes that appeal to men. In a perfume ad released by Calvin Klein recently, a young woman was posed nude on a couch, seducing the camera, and the perfume bottle was tucked away nearly out the frame.
Many of the ads today give an image that in order to be happy and satisfied in life you have to be sexual or look sexy to get ahead. These ads are giving the wrong impression to our very fragile and susceptible young women. I believe
Eating disorders are triggered by emotions just like eating signals are. “Current studies evaluated the mediating roles of appetite awareness and emotional awareness in a brief eating disorders prevention programs designed to help participants identify and respond to internal appetite signals.” (Brown, 2010) There are some people who may use food as a form a comfort and they just eat large amounts of food because they are upset. People who are overweight tend to have emotional triggers when someone makes comments about their weight. There are also those who will binge eat or eat a large meal and then induce vomiting in order to get rid of the large amount of calories their just took in. Many clients could start to feel down on themselves and use that food for comfort; however, there are those who have the reverse effect and when they are depressed they choose not to eat food at all.
Obesity is a growing outbreak in America that effects all ages and gender. As we grow, our metabolism slows, which makes it harder for us to burn calories (obesityfocused.com). What we call obesity today is becoming or has become a problem in America. I love food, you love food, they love food, we all love food. I look at it as an addiction for most and a disease for some.