Effects of the media

Q - What is body image?
A - Body image is the way in which we feel about our bodies. People with a positive body image often feel comfortable and confident in their own bodies. People with a negative body image usually feel uncomfortable and lack confidence about their body. A negative body image is usually the result of a low self esteem. Self esteem is how we feel about ourselves as a whole person. People with a low self esteem usually lack confidence and feel quite low about themselves. If a person feels low about themselves inside, then there is usually a good chance that they feel low about themselves on the outside as well, which can cause people to have a negative body image. People with a high self esteem usually feel happy with themselves inside and feel confident and comfortable with themselves as a whole person.

Q - What effect does the media have on body image?
A - Although the media can be a powerful tool, not everyone is affected in the same way by the same media imagery. Some people are more affected by media imagery than others. This is usually because some people are more venerable then others. For example; one person with a high self esteem may see a picture in a magazine very differently to another person with a low self esteem. Chances are that if someone has a low self esteem, they are more likely to compare themselves to media images, which can make them feel even lower about themselves if they feel that they do not met the same standard of beauty that the image they are looking at is representing. It is my belief that as said earlier, the media is a powerful tool, and they do have a responsibility to their audience, but I do not think the media are to blame for people developing a negative body image. A negative body image is something that a person feels usually as a result of having a low self esteem, and until a person learns how to value themselves, they will continue to be affected by many factors including the media as they are more susceptible to it's influences.

The Bread for Life Campaign

In 1988 the Bread for Life Campaign published 'Pressure to be Perfect' Report. This is a valuable insight into the issues that influence young women between 18 and 24 (a high risk age for developing eating disorders).

Bread for Life Campaign,

The Flour Advisory Bureau,

21 Arlington St, London SW1A 1RN

Tel 0207 493 2521.

Eating Disorders Body Image & The Media

beat has also been involved in the production of the BMA Report 'Eating Disorders Body Image & The Media' published 30 May 2000 (available from BMA bookshop at £7.95 e-mail orders@bmjbookshop.com British Medical Association BMA House Tavistock Square London WC1H 9JP), and supports the recommendations contained in this report.

The UK June 2000 edition (142) of Marie Claire Magazine covers many aspects of the media debate and outlines the policy of the editor (who has since resigned over related issues) towards 'thin models' and eating disorders.

Useful literature for information and further reference include

'That Body Image Thing: Young Women Speak Out' is a collection of the best of 600 essays written by young women under the age of twenty. The essays describe young women's struggles to discipline their bodies to conform to images imposed on them by the media and their peer group. The publications also contain extensive resource sections on body image. More information from The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW), a national, not-for-profit organization committed to advancing equality through research. For more information click on www.criaw-icref.ca or e-mail storres@criaw-icref.ca.

'The Body Snatchers: How the Media Shapes Women' by Cyndi Tebbel (Publisher Finch). This book is written as a 'good read' rather than a serious textbook, but contains a good overview of the relationship between industries such as cosmetics, advertising, publishing etc.

Another Book which may be useful is 'Weighty Issues: Fatness and Thinness as Social Problems' Sobal & De Gruyber 1999 this book puts attitudes to weight in a historical and modern perspective.

See also

'The Beauty Myth' by Naomi Wolf, 1991, New York: Morrow. Feminist Perspectives on Eating Disorders by Patricia Fallon, Melanie Katzman and Susan Wooley, 1994, The Guilford Press.

Schools Health Education Unit

On February 3 2003 the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU, Renslade House, Bonhay Road, EXETER Devon EX4 3AY Telephone: 01392 66 72 72) published 'Trends in Young People’s Food Choices'. The report shows trends between 1983-2001 in young people’s food choices at school and their attitude to healthy eating and weight control. A comprehensive press release and summary is at http://www.sheu.org.uk/trends.htm there is also further useful information on their main website at http://www.sheu.org.uk/

Research in Fiji

On the 1st June 2002 Dr Anne Becker published a paper in the British Journal of Psychiatry about the influence of TV on the inhabitants of Fiji and it's impact on the development of eating disorders amongst a population who had not seen TV before the mid '90s. An increase in the incidence well above normal expectations was seen by the researchers. The same edition of the British Journal of Psychiatry features an interesting commentary by UK eating disorders expert Emeritus Professor Arthur Crisp.

Children and their Body Image

At the end of June 02 the British Journal of Clinical Psychology published a paper 'Children and their Body Image' by Truby and Paxton. The paper records an extensive study into children's perceptions and expectations of their own body image. The authors found very high levels of dissatisfaction with children's own body/image. The resulting measures enable a good measure of body size and dissatisfaction in children 8 and up.

Papers on this issue have also been published in the European Eating Disorders Review

Fashion Victims

'This house believes that the media are to blame for eating disorders' was the motion of a special debate, which was held on 5 April 2001 by The Institute of Psychiatry in London. Chaired by Professor Janet Treasure the provocative title was chosen to stimulate discussion and debate.

In a move, which at first glance seems to be at odds with everything beat has campaigned for, Professor Kenneth Nunn and beat Chief Executive, Nicky Bryant, opposed the motion while Premier Model agency spokesman, William Bose and Dr Melanie Katzman, Consultant Psychologist in the USA, upheld the motion.

The first vote at the beginning of the debate, was so close there was little between the two sides. Melanie Katzman opened and gave a convincing argument, supported by a number of interesting, frightening and it has to be said, humorous press clippings and adverts. She quoted the research by Anne Becker in Fiji, which revealed that 83% of people felt TV had influenced their perceptions and thoughts about body image and size since it's introduction in the mid 90's. Research by the American Dietetics' Association, which revealed that very young children are influenced by the media was also quoted.

Nicky Bryant opened with a brisk rebuttal, which explored the issues, including the diversity of the media, the limited success of media promoted diets and exercise plans, when obesity is constantly increasing and the reality that low self esteem and serious underlying psychological issues are at the heart of every eating disorder. Nicky made a strong case that the media did have an influence on people, particularly on those who have low self esteem and were vulnerable. She highlighted the unrealistic, aspirational models promoted in the media, which could lead to people having a distorted view of the world they live in and also that any link between media and the development of an eating disorders remains unproven.

Prof. Ken Nunn then presented a humorous but nonetheless, serious look at the effect the media has had on his perceptions of himself and the (insignificant) impact it has had on his ability to emulate his cinematic hero's or the media stereotyped body shapes or lifestyles in the face of nature's gift's to him (a short and rather pear shaped body -his words!).

In the discussion, which followed from an interested and large audience, a number of key points were made by both sides. These all paled into insignificance when an ex anorectic gave her own view about the way such discussion trivialises the issues around these very serious disorders.

The final vote then swung conclusively against the motion. The audience decided that Nicky Bryant and Ken Nunn's view that the media did not cause eating disorders, to be the winning argument. Consequently, Melanie Katzman and William Bose's view, that the Media was responsible for the increase in eating disorders, lost out.

Body Image Summit

beat worked with the Cabinet Office in the planning for the 'Body Image Summit' on the 21st of June 2000, called by Minister Tessa Jowell. beat attended the summit and although little concrete resulted it did begin a valuable dialogue with a number of interested parties. Newspaper features from the weeks before and following the conference clearly show the extent of the variation of views held on this topic.

The Effects of Starvation

The effect of starvation on perception and actions was most famously studied during the second workd war by Ancel Keys and his colleagues at the University of Minnesota. There is an interesting paper which talks about the study here written by leading expert in eating disorders David Garner.

The full reference for the Minnesota study is:- Keys A, Brozek J, Henschel A, Mickelsen O, & Taylor H L (1950). The biology of human starvation (2 vols.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

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