Does advertising affect eating disorders

74

By rayuso

Eating Disorders

 

Do you know that a child is exposed to more than 40,000 ads in a given year, well this is the impact that media and advertising have in our kids, teenagers and adults. There has been some discussion of the impact of the media and fashion industry in eating disorders, but a huge part of that impact is caused by advertising.

Why do i think that advertising has an effect on eating disorders? The reality is that we shape our social values, behaviors, tastes and preferences based on what we see on tv, magazines, newspapers, online and in movies. We see ads every minute of the day of any kind and one of the most common images that we see is a skinny beautiful women selling something.

Companies invest millions of dollars every year on marketing they brand and ads, they just want to make as much profit as possible, so if they are selling food that is unhealthy and will make you fat, that is ok for them as long as you keep buying.

Here is the problem, companies sell thousands of products that are unhealthy, lack of nutrients and will make you fat, but they show their ads with beautiful skinny women everywhere, so what is wrong with this and what effect has on eating disorders?

People are eating must of the junk food that they are exposed to every day, they are not getting any nutritive meals, but at the same time they are shaping the values of teens in a negative way by showing them that skinny women are what is accepted as good and successful. So many teenagers engage in eating disorders to acquire that body image of the perfect women that everyone in school and in society like.

So, while there is people getting fatter due to the unhealthy food that we are exposed to, there are many other teenagers that find their only solution in anorexia and bulimia.

It needs to be clear that anorexia and bulimia disorders are psychological problems because the person has acquired a wrong self image of what she looks like. Advertising its not the only cause, but is one more factor that is creating a huge impact our teens and society.

In fact a few years ago the ideal body of a women was not of a thin body, a good a example is marylin monroe, she wasnt thin as todays models, but it was a the good image of a women at that time. However now media and advertising have changed the image of the ideal women to a very thin women body, the reality is that just a few women in the world can have that kind of body, even if you diet this is not the common type of body. This kind of ideal body image is excluding 95% of women in the world that dont have the biological and physical attributes of those models and that is the fault of the media.

Also in school and society critiques to the body of a person can cause her to have a trauma and engage in eating disorders disorders. So is a combination of things in society, media and a trauma that creates this kind of disorders.

Advertising effects on women

Comments

Gabrielle  3 years ago

I am a teen trying to write a thesis on the effects of advertising on people and even though i may agree with all these things, i must disagree with one thing and that people dont want to be skinny any more in my opinion. They want to be curvy

Sophie 3 years ago

I am wiriting an assignment for college on the effects advertising has on society. I do believe that advertising has its advantages as well as disadvantages. They hsould use normal sized women in adverts, yet also promote more healthy eating.

Laura 3 years ago

I am also writing an assignment for college for research methodology, i have chosen anorexia and the effects that society have on young girls and boys. I believe that advertisers should use average sized women and models when promoting their stock, though i do not agree that ALL people 'want to be curvy' otherwise we wouldn't have a problem with people becoming anorexic.

Sarah L. 3 years ago

I have a health project about anorexia and i need to know why anorexia mostly affects wemon. can anyone help me with this please?

Rosa M. 3 years ago

Im writing an assignment on how society affects the increasing rate of anorexia and bulimia.. and i most definitavely agree that todays advertisements affect how teenager (especially) have a view of themselves..

YO YO 3 years ago

WOMEN ARE MOSTLY AFFECTED BY ANOREXIA BECAUSE ONE IT'S A MENTAL PROBLEM AND SECONDLY WOMEN ARE MORE JUDGMENTAL THAN MEN. WOMEN ALWAYS GET CRITICISM FROM OTHER WOMEN SO THEY TURN TO MEN.

Mud 3 years ago

Lol yo yo its to the left of your 'a' key

Simone 3 years ago

the only females that want to be "curvy" are the ones of the "uncurvy" type- the hip-less and boob-less women we see in our magazines- and those who are naturally like them.

Jen Jen 2 years ago

so basically, I am also writing a paper on this stuff.. and I pretty much hate it.

Allison 2 years ago

I have been through this, and still am going through it. Media takes a toll on eating affects. Trust me, I'm living it. Media makes me think thats whats expected of me in society.

dingyboathorn 2 years ago

i think that when an apple fell i picked it up and ate it...i never once though of cats or happy snails only of myself and what one must do on to others in a time of need...the sun must only shine in the darkness of your townhouse cracker box...

Michael L 2 years ago

Although everyone has their own opinion, none of you own a major corporation based soley on sales and profit. If we lived in a perfect world we could sell that imperfect guy or girl. As a model I understand if I do not look my best I will not get work. Its a job, it comes with one catch, Look good. If you are uncomfortable looking at skinny women or ripped men, do not leave your house, read a magazine, watch movies, or go shopping. Be realistic about things and please refrain from any further ignorance

hey 2 years ago

hey monkey yo yo

NOOB 24 months ago

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBS

Fagner 23 months ago

Sou da Zona Norte de Porto Alegre

Parabéns pelo blog.

Sempre quando eu posso eu volto aqui.

Abraços

zonanortepoa.com.br

lulu 20 months ago

i'm writing an assinment for health class and what she said was true we ahould fight the media and the model agencys for having the too skinny models. it's ridculous

amanda 17 months ago

im wiriting a paper on the affects of advertising and body image a guy in class also talked about smoking etc this helps with some ideas and the numbers are a greatg help thanks

the women today are too skinny no woman should be a 00

women should have curves and features. seeinf your spine through your shirt and and your ribes are repulsive EAT!!!

Joanna Poppink, MFT 16 months ago

Your article brings up important questions about the power of media to influence vulnerable people to validate their eating disorders and strive for impossible and unhealthy ways of living. You create a wonderful discussion forum to raise awareness.

This post inspired me to write my own follow up on my site which I credit your article as my inspiration: http://bit.ly/hcPlvc

Joanna Poppink, MFT

Los Angeles psychotherapist

http://www.eatingdisorderrecovery.com

author: Healing Your Hungry Heart, 08/11 Conari Press

Model 8 months ago

Hei all overweighted people! Do not eat all the day time and do not put everything that you see in your mouth! That way you will look aesthetically beautiful and feel healthy. And do not blame advertising for your own problems,instale a little filter in your brain!

Teri 6 months ago

I am writing a paper for college on what effects the media have on eating disorders. I have done a pros and cons list and let me just say that my cons outweigh the pros. I amd 4'11 and do not fit in this ideal image or even the supposedly normal image. I feel as though eating disorders are more mental than anything else.

Alyssa 2 months ago

I believe even though there have been efforts to combat this issue of the static representation of beauty in the media for youth, tv shows like Glee representing teens of all shapes and rooting for the underdog, forums for change, there are still far too many slender, perfectly symmetrical, beautiful faces, and sexual representations for the youth. We need to write letters to these magazines and advertisers and tell them that it is harming the youth, the prospective future of country.

Submit a Comment
Members and Guests

Sign in or sign up and post using a hubpages account.



    • No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked
    • Comments are not for promoting your Hubs or other sites

    Please wait working