The Medias negative effect on body image

Some of the ideal ways women achieve their ideal body image is through plastic surgery, excessive dieting or taking pills to make them look like the ultimate women they see advertised.  The media's increasing tendency to expose very young girls in sexual ways has negatively affected women all over.  Women are under constant pressure to fit a certain principle of beauty. Constantly being bombarded with images of flawless, thin females all over makes it hard for women to feel good about their bodies and they way they look.

Over the past decade, the fashion industry has begun to use younger and younger models, and now normally presents young girls as if they were women. The advertising industry constantly has images of these thin photo shopped women who aren’t real, causing women to have low self-esteem about themselves.  Women watching commercials and seeing magazine ads featuring underweight models causes these women to lose self-confidence and became more dissatisfied with their own bodies.  Some girls spend hours each day trying to cover themselves up with makeup and clothes to try and hide who they are suffered the greatest loss in confidence.

For years there have been ultra thin role models such as celebrities that have caused teenage eating disorders and depression.  These celebrity role models that the media advertises as being thin and perfect are causing girls all around to feel like a failure and have negative views about their self-respect and self-worth.  They feel as if they are not good enoughfor themselves or anyone else.   Today when a young girl looks at a picture of a thin model instantly they will feel depressed, guilty or ashamed of themselves.   When looking back a couple of years at models, they never were this thin.  Models were used to be a “normal” size ten, now models must fit a certain height and weight criteria to be a model at more than half the size they used to be.  The mass media is promoting women to have eating disorders and health issues.  Women are putting themselves at risk for going through such extremes to be very thin.  Some women who suffer from extreme thinness are at risk for a lot of health problems yet they don’t care about that they just want to fit in. 

The media has such an effect on young women that they feed into any need trend that is going on.  These young girls want to follow and aspire to do everything that these celebrities on television are doing.  When you hear of plastic surgery, you think of famous people with loads of money trying to setback the effects of aging and people who want to change the size of their stomachs, breasts, or other body parts because they see it done so easily on television. Girls are surrounded by images of female beauty that is unrealistic.  Teens view plastic surgery as a way to fit in and look acceptable to friends and peers. Cosmetic surgery is growing in popularity, fueled by a culture of youthful attractiveness, and television shows.  The television media is a major influence on women they have television shows on how to improve ladies and their looks.  A lot of the television shows put women through a total transformation of a tummy-tuck and alldifferent cosmetic surgeries to try and look like thin beautiful celebrities.  

This issue of the media negatively affecting women and their body image needs to be changed.  Women shouldn’t have their weight or looks be their main concern.  They shouldn’t be stuck looking into the mirror wishing they were someone else.  

We need to embrace who we are, and love our bodies. Think of how powerful our bodies are. Let us nurture a healthy relationship with our bodies. Love our curves. Don’t buy into the perfection culture we are bombarded by society. Let us cultivate body positivity instead. Moving toward a better mindset and embracing our body shape is the moment when it'll all start making sense. Getting in touch with your body will help you recognize the needs you may have been ignoring for a while.

Make exercising and moving your body a pleasurable experience. We need to stop mad mouthing exercising like it's a bad thing! How good do you feel after you move your body?! If you like to dance, put some music on and shake that booty! If you like to be outside, go for a walk, ride your bike to the store, find a pair of roller blades and feel the wind in your hair! Find someone to move your body with! It's always easier to go for a walk when there's someone with you! Make it a habit, morning - at lunch time - after dinner? Find a time that works for you and start small. Don't over commit!

Let us change our mindset about food. There’s no good or bad food, food is just food, and I think we need to respect and love our bodies and make choices that fuel us well and give us energy. Could we eat McDonald's everyday? Maybe? But you won't feel good about it. I like to say do the 75-25 theory. Let us 'try' to find healthier options 75 percent of the time and leave the rest for chance! I’m a healthy-ish and happy person with oodles of energy, but if you put a picture of me in a bikini on social media, I’m sure there would be negative feedback about my body. My body has run a half marathon, I nourish my body with amazing food, my body works hard and has given birth to 2 kids.

Also, understanding and managing emotions will help you on your journey to better health. Let us be mindful and aware of our bodies. Even if you don’t feel comfortable in your own skin at the moment, start developing a practice of honouring and respecting your body. Seeing your body as a partner will help you reconnect and learn to listen to its true needs. Treat your body well, both inside and out. Your own perception can either drag you down or give you the push you need to thrive.

That’s why self-love is important for good health.

Embrace your body shape, love yourself and get out there! There is a world of opportunities waiting for you.