Hilbert College	Issues in Mass Communication: Effect of the Media on Eating Disorders	- Home - Students - Tutorials - - Student Papers -
(Note: This paper was written at the University of South Carolina) by: Katie Smith 23 November 1999 "It is hard to not be effected by the media bombarding us constantly with the message, "Thin is in!" On TV commercials we are told to "lose weight fast" or "exercise for thirty minutes" to have a beautiful body. Magazines displaying thin, attractive women try to convince us that we are not okay until we "slim our thighs." The overriding message is that we need to change something about ourselves in order to be loved or successful. In particular, if we have thin, fit bodies, 'our lives will be perfect'" (Yarborough, 1999).   The finger of blame is often pointed at the media when the debate over the cause of the growing prevalence of eating disorders in young women is brought up. Alarm has spread as the increasing thinness of models and actresses has coincided with the rise of eating disorder occurrences. Medical professionals, researchers, and members of the general population all agree that something has gone wrong in regards to the body image of young people. But is the media at fault for this? The two main eating disorders that are discussed when considering media influence are bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Bulimia involves bingeing and purging. Those who exhibit bulimic behavior may force themselves to vomit, use laxatives, exercise excessively, or severely change their diet in order to compensate for large caloric intake. Anorexia involves self starvation resulting in the possible loss of lean body tissue and other health problems. Other symptoms of anorexia include obsessive exercising, counting of calorie and fat grams, extreme fascination and concern with food, health, and body image, use of laxatives, diuretics, and diet pills, and self induced vomiting (Jackson et al., 1999) Thus bulimia and anorexia may coexist. Bulimia patients often have a history of anorexia, or may become anorexic. And 30 to 50% of anorexia patients show symptoms of bulimia (National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association, 1998). According to the American Psychiatric Association, 0.5 to 3% of the general population and 4 to 22% of college age females admit that they have experienced disordered eating habits. These rates have risen over the past thirty years (Harrison, 1997). Prominent eating disorder researchers recognize that the most beautiful and successful leading figures in the media are thin, and this leads viewers to associate thinness with self control and success (Harrison, 1997). The association between different body shapes and desired social status can be traced all the way back to the Rubenesque women of the seventeenth century (Garner et al., 1980). Since the 1950's, the figure of the ideal feminine body shape has trimmed down dramatically (Harrison, 1997). This ideal shape evolved from a curved, voluptuous figure to an angular, lean figure (Garner et al., 1980). One of the most famous studies concerning this changing standard was conducted by David Garner, Paul Garfinkel, Donald Schwartz, and Michael Thompson (Harrison, 1997). These researchers collected data about Miss America contestants and models used in Playboy magazine to confirm the trend toward a thinner standard through the 60's and 70's (Garner et al., 1980). In an update of this study, J.J. Gray, J.E. Mosimann, and A.H. Ahrens found that from 1979 to 1988 the pageant contestants and Playboy centerfolds continued to show a decrease in weight. Gray, Mosimann, and Ahrens reported that 69% of Playboy centerfolds and 60% of pageant contestants weighed at least 15% less than their expected weight. This was a cause for concern, because the American Psychiatric Association states that being at least 15% below expected body weight is a symptom of anorexia (Harrison, 1997). The true irony of the results of both studies is that while magazine models, pageant contestants, and other female role models in the media have slimmed down, the average women has actually become heavier due to improved nutrition (Garner et al., 1980). In fact, less than 5% of the population can healthfully and genetically achieve the ideal shapes and sizes presented by the media (Yarborough, 1999). Despite those facts, women continue to overestimate the size of their own bodies. Women with eating disorders make even greater overestimations of their body size. Dr. Richard S. Strauss of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine in New Brunswick, New Jersey conducted a study in which he analyzed the data from part of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The survey, which was conducted between 1988 and 1994, included information from 1900 adolescents aged 12 to 16. It was found that 52% of normal-weight Caucasian females considered themselves overweight. Strauss believes that teenage white females are especially sensitive for poor body image due to an "increasing emphasis on thinness by television, advertising, and marketing campaigns" aimed at younger people. (Reuters, 1999). Strauss's belief is supported in the results of a study conducted by Harvard researchers. They attempted to assess the influence of the media on how young girls dealt with body image and weight loss. The subjects of the study included 548 fifth through twelfth grade students in a working-class suburb in the northeastern United States. These students completed surveys that dealt with questions concerning perception of body weight, exposure to fashion magazines, influence of the media on body image, and the effect of magazine articles on their decision to lose weight. It was found that 69% of the girls said that magazine pictures influenced their version of the ideal body shape. 47% said that they wanted to lose weight because of magazine pictures. Girls who read fashion magazines frequently were 2 to 3 times more likely than infrequent readers to attempt to lose weight because of a magazine article and to feel that magazines had an effect on their perception of the ideal body shape (Field et al., 1999). The effect of the media on eating disorders is clearly seen when considering the fact that eating disorders are found predominantly in women along with the fact that women receive more messages from the media about their ideal body shape. There hasn't been as much research done on sociocultural expectations of attractiveness for males as there has been for females, but the findings that do exist support the idea that women are exposed to more weight-loss material than men are. Despite a significant increase in society's emphasis on health and fitness in the U.S. from 1960 to 1992, male body shape ideals have not changed (Petrie et al., 1996). It is obvious that this emphasis has been focused on women. This is evident in the study conducted by Brett Silverstein, Lauren Perdue, Barbara Peterson, and Eileen Kelly in which they attempted to determine the difference in the amount of media exposure to food and weight related materials for men and women. These researchers studied four widely circulated womens magazines, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, and Women's Day, and four widely circulated mens magazines, Field and Stream, Playboy, Popular Mechanics, and Sports Illustrated, for content on advertisements and articles concerning body shape, body size, dieting, food, drink, and cooking. It was found that the total number of diet food ads in the 48 issues of womens magazines was 63, compared to just 1 in the 48 issues of mens magazine. The total number of articles concerning body shape and size and ads for nonfood figure enhancing products was 96 in the womens magazines and only 8 in the mens magazines. Despite their greater emphasis on thinness and dieting, womens magazines also contained many more food advertisements than the mens magazines, with 1179 food ads compared to 10 for men. The results of this study indicate that women are subjected to gender-specific messages in the magazines they read. While encouraged to stay in shape and be thin, women are also exposed to many food and cooking ads (Silverstein et al., 1986). Even as evidence mounts supporting the role of the media, other considerations must be made when determining the causes of eating disorders. First and foremost, the fact must be recognized that it is difficult to know whether eating disorders are actually becoming more prevalent, or are just being reported more. If the rising rates of occurrence are in fact accurate, all four categories of risk factors for eating disorders, biological, psychological, familial, and sociological, must be considered. Exposure to images of the thin female ideal in the mass media is just one aspect of the sociological category (Harrison, 1997). There are considerable amounts of research findings which involve the other factors. In a study conducted by Brett Silverstein, Shari Carpman, Deborah Percick, and Lauren Perdue, it was found that disordered eating can be related to women's self-definition in areas associated with masculine achievement. Women who stress intelligence and professional success are almost twice as likely as other women to have disordered eating habits. Correlation was also found between disordered eating and gender identity conflict in women (Silverstein, 1990). Eric Stice completed research in which he attempted to determine whether social reinforcement of the thin ideal and modeling of abnormal eating behavior by family, peers, and the media caused bulimic behavior in young females. It was found that while social reinforcement of the thin-ideal by family, peers, and the media was related to bulimic symptoms, the role of the media in the modeling of abnormal eating behavior was not associated with bulimic symptoms. Instead this was limited to family and peer influence (Stice, 1998). Biological explanations for eating disorders can involve the brain chemical serotonin metabolite. Women who have experienced bulimia are found to have higher levels of serotonin metabolite in their brain and experience more negative moods and obsessions with perfection and exactness (Preboth and Wright, 1999). The argument that media images of thinness influence the eating habits of young people is similar to the argument that violence in the media causes aggression in young people (Harrison, 1997). While the role of the media on the increasingly thin body standard cannot be blamed as the sole cause for eating disorders, just as the role of violence in the media on children committing violent acts cannot be blamed as the sole cause for the recent school shootings, both are problems that need to be addressed. However, it also must be noted that there are times when focusing on these problems can cause more harm than good. A recent issue of People magazine featured a cover article on the recent trend of actresses to become even thinner to meet new standards. The article featured before and after photographs of twelve actresses who have slimmed down considerably. While the intention of the article was to bring a dangerous problem to public attention, it also works against its own point by exhibiting examples of the thin standard once again (Schindehette et al., 1999). This can be compared again to the violence issue; the attention paid to the scenarios in the school shootings may present new ideas to those already at risk for committing similar acts. What may really make a difference in this unhealthy trend are several organizations that promote fighting back against the standards that the media presents. The Eating Disorder Awareness and Prevention organization launched their Media Advocacy Campaign in the fall of 1997. It relies on volunteers to report about advertisements that glorify fitness at the expense of health, as well as advertisements that promote healthy body image. EDAP then contacts the companies responsible for those ads and provides them with either praise or criticism. In their latest campaign, they were able to get a slogan changed on a billboard advertising NBC's Friends in Sioux Falls, South Dakota due to its glamorization of anorexia. The billboard pictured the three female stars of the show and the phrase, "Cute anorexic chicks" (Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention, 1999). EDAP also supports the Go Girls (Giving Our Girls Inspiration and Resources for Lasting Self Esteem) program. Go Girls encourages young girls to stand up against the media's thin body ideal. Participants learn through discussions and team meetings how to speak out against advertisers. The program began in Seattle in the spring of 1998 and is expanding to other cities (Sandahl, 1999). Another similar organization is About-Face. About-Face is a San Francisco based media literacy organization that concentrates on the effect of the mass media on the physical, mental, and emotional health of females. Relying on research that indicates a correlation between exposure to the idealized female in the media and the occurrence of eating disorders, About-Face encourages personal activism against the thin body ideal. Since 1995 About-Face has been providing education and resources on this subject (About-Face, 1996). This issue is perhaps best summarized in the findings of the Silverstein, Perdue, Peterson, and Kelly study when it was stated of the increasingly thin body ideal that, "This standard may not be promoted only in the media and it may not even originate in the media, but given the popularity of television, movies, and magazines, and the instances when styles adopted by media figures begin popular fads, the media are likely to be among the most influential promoters of such thin standards" (Silverstein, 1986).   The media is not completely at fault for the rise of occurrences of eating disorders, but it is imperative that something must be done to change the body standards they present. The media has far too great an influence over the general public to be promoting this unhealthy trend. In the United States, 4,000 people die every year from eating disorders (Jackson et al., 1999). The media has been identified as one of the causal factors, and now action must be taken by the media to reduce its unhealthy effects and fulfill a public heath role in order to lower this rate. Bibliography: Petrie, Trent A., and Laura J. Austin, Barbara J. Crowley, Annette Heimcamp, Courtney E. Johnson, Regan Lester, Rebecca Rogers, Jeff Turner, and Kevin Walbrick. (1996) "Sociocultural Expectations of Attractiveness for Males". Sex Roles. Volume 35. Plenum Publishing Corporation.   Harrison, Kristen. (1997) "Does Interpersonal Attraction to Thin Media Personalities Promote Eating Disorders?. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media. Volume 41. Broadcast Education Association.   Jackson, Allen W., and James R. Morrow Jr., David W. Hill, and Rod K. Dishman. (1999) Physical Activity for Health and Fitness. Human Kinetics.   National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association. (1998) Understanding Eating Disorders. Online: http://www.ndmda.org/eating.htm   Yarborough, Kathryn Putnam. (1999) Understanding Body Image. Online: http://www.eatingdisorder.org/news.htm   Reuters Health. (1999) Half of Normal-Weight Girls Think They Are Fat. Online: http://www.allhealth.com/conditions/mental/news/0,4800,296_127572,00.html   Field, Allison E., and Lilian Cheung, Anne M. Wolf, David B. Herzog, Steven L. Gortmaker, and Graham A. Colditz. (1999) "Exposure to the Mass Media and Weight Concerns Among Girls". Pediatrics. Volume 103. Online:http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/3/e36?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=& author1=Field%2C+A&fulltext=body+image&searchid=QID_NOT_SET&FIRSTINDEX=&fdate=1/1/1999&tdate=3/31/1999   Grogan, Sarah. (1999) Body Image. Routledge.   Silverstein, Brett, and Shari Carpman, Deborah Percick, and Lauren Perdue. (1990) "Nontraditional Sex Role Aspirations, Gender Identity Conflict, and Disordered Eating Among College Women". Sex Roles. Volume 23. Plenum Publishing Corporation.   Garner, David, and Paul Garfinkel, Donald Schwartz, and Michael Thompson. (1980) "Cultural Expectations of Thinness in Women". Psychological Reports. Volume 47. Psychological Reports.   Myers, Philip N. Jr., and Frank A. Biocca. (1992) "The Elastic Body Image: The Effect of Television Advertising and Programming of Body Image Distortions in Young Women". Journal of Communication. Volume 42. Oxford University Press.   Silverstein, Brett, and Lauren Perdue, Barbara Peterson, and Eileen Kelly. (1986) "The Role of the Mass Media in Promoting a Thin Standard of Bodily Attractiveness for Women". Sex Roles. Volume 14. Plenum Publishing Corporation.   Stice, Eric. (1998) "Modeling of Eating Pathology and Social Reinforcement of the Thin-Ideal Predict Onset of Bulimic Symptoms". Behaviour Research and Therapy. Volume 36. Elsevier Science Ltd.   Preboth, Monica, and Shyla Wright. (1999) "Quantum Sufficit". American Family Physician. Volume 59. American Academy of Family Physicians.   Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention. (1999) About EDAP's Media Advocacy Campaign. Online: http://www.edap.org/watchdog/aboutmedia.html   Sandahl, Deanna. (1999) Go Girls! Online: http://www.goldinc.com/gogirls/   About-Face. (1996) What is About-Face? Online: http://www.about-face.org/who/index.html   Schindehette, Susan, and Karen Grigsby Bates, Michelle Caruso, Laura Schiff, Joanna Blonska, Ellen Tumposky, Olivia Abel, and Jennifer Longley. (1999) "Going to Extremes". People Weekly. Volume 52. Time Inc.

This page design copyright 1999 by Steve N. Jackson.

Contents copyright 1999 by Steve N. Jackson and Authors.

Student enrolled in Journalism 110 are actively encouraged to use

the code from this page.

Version 7.09 (19 July).