Western societies appear to repeatedly place a great deal of importance on the thinness model of human physique, often to the exclusion of other models of healthy, more realistic and attainable models of physique. The appreciation of specific aesthetic qualities seem to surpass and dominate above those of intellect, accomplishment, demeanor and overall health, and if you are someone who is overweight or ‘fat’ certain practices within Western societies can result in feelings of humiliation, degradation and shame. Yet, as occurrences of eating disorders are on the rise, many academic publications continue to insert a caveat when describing an individual who suffers from an eating disorder as being or possessing a ‘vulnerability’ to this disorder.
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Media should represent the voice of the people; providing a vehicle with which to examine, inform and challenge the populous. Instead it appears to have adapted a more ominous purpose. In light of the mighty capitalist ideals, mass media seems to have assumed a position of promoting enterprise while continuing the proliferation of the thinness ideal. Advertising companies have seized the ideal with such vigour, it appears as though the only time an average or overweight individual is used, it is done so in mockery or as to represent someone before, or who does not, use the product being advertises. Mass media also uses beauty and the sexualisation (of both men and women) in tandem to not only promote the sale of products, but often to fabricating a need for the product. This fabrication appears most prevalent within the beauty products, fashion, weight-loss product and exercise products industries. Although both men and women are targeted within these industries, the prevalence seems geared towards women, leaving one to question how does the thinness ideal remain dominate and what are the repercussion of such a …show more content…
Two such studies have been consulted in preparation of this reflection, and as suspected by the writer, culture influences the development of eating disorders based on the culmination of three
Media should represent the voice of the people; providing a vehicle with which to examine, inform and challenge the populous. Instead it appears to have adapted a more ominous purpose. In light of the mighty capitalist ideals, mass media seems to have assumed a position of promoting enterprise while continuing the proliferation of the thinness ideal. Advertising companies have seized the ideal with such vigour, it appears as though the only time an average or overweight individual is used, it is done so in mockery or as to represent someone before, or who does not, use the product being advertises. Mass media also uses beauty and the sexualisation (of both men and women) in tandem to not only promote the sale of products, but often to fabricating a need for the product. This fabrication appears most prevalent within the beauty products, fashion, weight-loss product and exercise products industries. Although both men and women are targeted within these industries, the prevalence seems geared towards women, leaving one to question how does the thinness ideal remain dominate and what are the repercussion of such a …show more content…
Two such studies have been consulted in preparation of this reflection, and as suspected by the writer, culture influences the development of eating disorders based on the culmination of three