Media And Eating Disorders Essay

Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine if the role of media activates eating disorders in women. The portrayal of women in media could potentially impact women in a negative way. For this study, a sample of 300 female students from California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) will complete a survey that ask questions about their self-esteem, food intake, and their feelings about the women portrayed in any media platforms. The findings will reveal if the media truly plays a role in how women perceive themselves. In previous studies, results vary. The previous studies resulted in either the media not influencing women to develop eating disorders or that media and body dissatisfaction and eating disorder had a positive relationship.

When one picks up a magazine or turns on the television show, the women portrayed are usually seen as tall, beautiful and most importantly, thin. It is what every girl growing up is used to seeing on any media platform. The portrayal of women in the media, those being magazines, television, movies or the internet, has impacted women in the world in a negative way. For decades, women were told the ideal body type they should have was a thin body shape. In most movies and television shows, it was very rare if the main woman character was an overweight individual. According to Himes (2012), media promotes the “thin ideal”, the female body should have a slim shape, in two ways: imitation of the women portrayed in all forms of media or stigmatizing overweight individuals in a negative way which further promotes the thin ideal. With women watching or reading about these other women who fit that “perfect” mold that society raves about, women start to feel discouraged about their own body types. They would constantly question if they are pretty enough or thin enough for society’s standards. With this, media is influencing how women should look like and because of this, women are developing low self-esteem which leads to dangerous eating