Negative Effects

Gemma López-Guimerà, Michael P. Levine, David Sánchez-carraced, and Jordi Fauquet are the authors of “Influence of Mass Media on Body Image and Eating Disordered Attitudes and Behaviors in Females: A Review of Effects and Processes” from the journal “Media Psychology.” Their article contains various research and studies that have been compiled to illustrate the effects the media plays in influencing our perceptions of the ideal body image, especially in our youth.

According to the National Institutes of Health a BMI < 18.5 is considered underweight. In 2008 a recovering anorexic, with a BMI of just 16.29 was crowned Miss America.

This is just one way in which mass media, whether it is television, magazines or the internet, influences what we see as the ideal body image. These media channels impact our perceptions of the societal norms that are considered the ideal ways in which we should look, act and behave to be an accepted member of our society or culture.

This is extremely important since these sources of media have a powerful influence on children and adolescents and have become significant rivals to the primary agents of a child’s socialization; their families and schools (388). Socialization is the process in which we learn the normal methods of behavior within our society. Our families and early education have the largest affect on us as children; helping us establish, our own set of values, beliefs and behaviors. However as the widespread use of media and advertising continues to expand and adult perceptions become affected by medias leading hand; children observe these images and behaviors, establishing their own concept of the ideal body image at an early age.

A report by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that between the ages of 8-18 the average amount of time spent watching TV was 4.29 hours in a day (388). One disturbing bit of information comes from a study in 2000 that was able to illustrate a positive relationship between a young boy’s exposure to television and a negative stereotype of overweight girls but not boys. Demonstrating that before children begin to idealize a thin body type they first learn to ridicule and scorn heaviness (391).

Magazines geared towards female adolescents have become more available & in 2004 the Kaiser Family Foundation reports roughly 33 million 12-19 year old girls spend more than $175 billion dollars each year on these types of magazines (388). These magazines and images help set the current standards of beauty & sexuality that are considered the norm. Sometimes these standards are impossible to achieve due to the amount of manipulation that goes in to touching the photos up. Oftentimes underweight models go hand and hand with easy weight lose ideas and plans that will help you transform your body shape.

A 1999 survey of adolescent and preadolescent girls discovered that 69% believed that the images in magazines influenced what they perceived the ideal body image to be and that 47% wished to lose weight after viewing them (390). Girls who read these types of magazines with articles detailing weight loss tips and tricks are seven times more likely to develop unhealthy weight control habits and six times more likely to use the most extreme weight control methods like purging (390).

What is primarily seen is that magazines have a larger affect on girls and young women in regards to the development of a thin body image, being dissatisfied with their own body image or weight and the onset of disordered eating habits (406). In smaller children the television plays a more crucial role since they are more likely to watch adult television shows than read adult magazines and can process the visual and verbal messages easier (406).

These are just some of the effects the media has had on influencing our cultures perception of the ideal body image, from one article reviewing the negative effects on our youth. As a culture we must take a look at the values that are being passed to our younger generations, how it will shape their future and since they are our future, how it will shape our lives as well…

Primary source unless otherwise noted above, can be found under our “Sites Used” tab, click on “Influence of Mass Media: Body Image & Eating Disordered Behaviors in Females.” Full citation:
López-Guimeràa, Gemma, Michael P. Levineb, Jordi Fauquet, and David Snchezcarracedo. "Influence of Mass Media on Body Image and Eating Disordered Attitudes." Media Psychology 13.4 (2010): 387-416. Informaworld. Web. 7 Mar. 2011.