You avoid mirrors, or when you do look, you look at all the flaws. You consistently wear baggy clothes for the purpose of hiding any curves or skeletal structure. Whenever your friends comment on their own appearance, your comments about your own body are negative. Is this you?
Models of one body type can be harmful.
Who is it that we’re trying to look like? Magazines, social media, and TV idealize the skinny white girl model or the jacked up male model. What many don’t understand is that this model’s body type is not healthy or attainable for a lot of people, and trying to attain it can result in depression, weight gain (oddly enough), or even an eating disorder. Many also don’t know that the individuals pictured on these platforms are heavily edited and made to look a certain way. If you’ve tried some of the snapchat or Tik Tok filters, you probably know what I’m talking about.
TV can contribute to poor body image.
A study done on Fijian adolescent girls indicated that, “Western media imagery may have a profoundly negative impact upon body image and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, even in traditional societies in which eating disorders have been thought to be rare.” It’s time for our favorite movies and shows to include a wider variety of “heroes” with realistic features. Until then, it’s important to be mindful that these characters, and to some extent, their bodies, are made up.
Each of us is designed differently. Look at all the beautiful things in nature! Are all the leaves the same size, shape, and color? What about dog breeds? Birds? Seashells? In his wisdom, God made variety, and the variety (differences) of each individual is something that should be valued. What if everyone had the same body, hair, skin color, personality, etc. Sounds a little like robots. Your difference is what makes you unique, and unique, is beautiful.
The media can be challenging to maneuver. If you need help, or have any questions, feel free to contact me!
Kyla Sullivan
References
Becker, Anne E., et al. “Eating Behaviors and Attitudes Following Prolonged Exposure to Television among Ethnic Fijian Adolescent Girls.” British Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 180, no. 6, 2002, pp. 509–514., doi:10.1192/bjp.180.6.509.
Comments