1. By: Nicole Piazza
BODY IMAGE AND
THE MEDIA

2. DEFINING BODY IMAGING
o “Body Image” refers to
a person's feelings of
the aesthetics and
sexual attractiveness
of his or her own body.
o A person's sense of
their own physical
appearance, usually in
relation to others or in
relation to some
cultural "ideal," can
shape his or her body
image.
“A person's sense of their own physical appearance, usually in relation to others or in relation to
some cultural "ideal," can shape his or her body image.”

3. DEFINING BODY IMAGING
o “Body Image” refers to
a person's feelings of
the aesthetics and
sexual attractiveness
of his or her own body.
o A person's sense of
their own physical
appearance, usually in
relation to others or in
relation to some
cultural "ideal," can
shape his or her body
image.
BODY IMAGE IS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE MEDIA

4. DOSOMETHING.ORG
http://www.dosomething.org/
DoSomething.org is the country’s largest
not-for-profit for young people and social
change consisting of 1,666,208 members
who stand up for causes they care about.
• Approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to
achieve their ideal body shape.
(Sadly, only 5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in
the media.)
• Studies show that the more reality television a young girl watches, the more likely she is
to find appearance important.
• In a survey, more than 30 percent of women agreed they would consider cosmetic
surgery in the future. The statistics remain constant.
• Students, especially women, who consume more mainstream media, place a greater
importance on sexiness and overall appearance than those who do not consume as
much.
• 58 percent of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight.

5. THE MEDIA
o Body Imaging

6. THE MEDIA
The media showcases an UNREALISTIC
image of what women are supposed to look
like.
Places like:
• MAGAZINES
• TELEVISION & MOVIES
• ADVERTISEMENTS
• MODELS
• SOCIAL MEDIA 
Social Media has gradually become TVs
number one competitor in influencing young
womens’ overall body image as it has
become such a huge part of our society.

7. MAGAZINES
People – models are thinner than 98% of
American girls and women – 98%! The
sad thing is that our young women don’t
realize this and are constantly comparing
themselves to these UNREALISTIC images”

8. TELEVISION
• Primetime Drama and Reality Television: associates thinness with other desirable
attributes such as wealth and desirability (ex. Gossip Girl)
• Fashion Show Runway Shows: Exhibits ultra-thin models and the ideal size for trendy
clothing (Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show)
• Grammy, Emmy, Oscar Awards: SOME Celebrities airbrushed and thin
“In a study of girls in grades 1,3 & 5, I found that the total amount of television that young girls
watched was significantly associated with their overall body-size dissatisfaction. For fifth
graders, the number of hours of television watched was significantly related to a preference
for thinness.
The results of this study are alarming both because of the girls' age and because research
has identified body dissatisfaction as a risk factor for severe eating disorders.”
DANIELLE Z. KASSOW, Ph.D.

9. SOCIAL MEDIA
• Filters, Blur, & Zoom focus
• 5 Ways to Look Even Better on
Instagram (BelleSugar)
“Either way, the picture is changed and the image is different,
more enhanced, less realistic than the original. How does this
affect body image? Having a more tanned, whiter smile, and
dark features makes many people look more attractive, some
would say. Is this changing the way we view others in reality? Do
we feel some kind of deceit when we see these people in real
life as opposed to in a picture that has been edited with
Instagram? These questions are important to ask because as
time goes by, more and more pictures are being edited and
Instagram's popularity is taking over.”
BLOG - http://socialmediabodyimage.blogspot.com

11. • Most women of the media are young, thin, pretty,
and often white.
• Actresses are rarely women over the age of 40.
Any women over 40 receive plastic surgery to look
younger.
The image of "perfection" is becoming
further and further out of reach…