Body Image Of Women Essay

Social standards of women’s body images are presented in all types of media, constricting our own depiction of women and replacing it with the unofficial rules of society—women must be thin, attractive, have flawless skin, perfectly whitened teeth, act as sexual objects, and must be portrayed as such. Not only does this affect society’s views of women as a whole, but it also enforces internalization of these thoughts by women themselves. Mass media’s use of unrealistic models sends a message to women everywhere, saying that in order to look beautiful, a woman has to be unhealthy, unwise, and subject to society’s scrutiny. Society encourages the thoughts that constantly meddle through a woman’s head—I’m too skinny or I’m too fat. With this mindset, women are constantly attempting to criticize and fulfill their unrealistic expectations of representing others portrayed in the media. Images that are projected via commercials, advertisements, television shows, news anchors; anything or anyone we see on the daily news or elsewhere tends to reflect what we see in women as they are presented in media: perfection. Granted, although self-esteem and other internal influences may be affecting a woman’s image of herself, it is also prominent that the media is a big contributor. …show more content…
in which can contribute to how women respond to this type of criticism. According to Meyer, media perpetuates an ideology of thinness. In a sense, eating disorders are coded as lifestyle choices until they are exposed in some public way, typically through mediated channels (Meyer 226). Granted, these disorders can be righteously argued as lifestyle choices; that is, until we take into consideration just how much media tends to influence these ‘choices.’ We see advertisements in every print form of media, showcasing women in bikinis or minimal clothing, in red pumps and sleek