Post on 27-Jan-2023
What is body image?• Feelings about own body• Personal experiences, personality and social/cultural influences– Gender– Age – Socioeconomic status
• Negative body image normative for Western women
• Perceptions of body may differ from how others perceive it
• Consequences• The role of the media
How has the media changed?
• Over-representation of certain body types– Underweight
• Modelling• Actresses
– Hypermuscular• Actors• Cartoons• Action figures• Video games
• Under-representation of others
• Photoshop
How does the media influence body image?
• Demonstrates what body “should look like”– Unachievable – “Thin ideal”– Meomorphic v-shape
• Body image changes after viewing these images
• False promises of happiness
How can the media change to have a better impact on body image?
• Having larger models/actresses• Larger representation of body types in television/movies/advertising
• Stating when images have been photoshopped
• Positive content and messaging• Diversity• Fair placement• Realistic and natural images of people• Healthy weight models• Appropriate model age• Fashion retailers supporting positive body image
• Body image awards
Government voluntary code of conduct for media
What can we do to have a better body image?
1.“Media ban”/media awareness
- Avoid anything that makes you feel bad about your body – particular friends, magazines, etc
- Don’t compare yourself to others
- Find new role models- Photoshop awareness- False promises – explicit and implicit
What can we do to have a better body image?
2.Appreciate your body – focus on strength & health- Treat self how you’d
treat your friends- Focus on how you feel- Swap weight loss
goals with fitness goals
- Focus on you as a whole
- Moral value on food
What can we do to have a better body image?
3.Stop fat talk- Retrain
brain- Stop putting
body down- Give three
compliments a day