Effects

The Effects

Due to the media's influence and society's constant exposure to the media, many women are negatively effected.

Eating Disorders

One dangerous effect of the media's portrayal of women is eating disorders. In society, eating disorders have been associated with younger women, and sometimes even teenagers. However, eating disorders are, as seen with Dana, an 8 year old, growing ever more common in America's youth.

Thompson, Colleen. "Eating Disorders." Eating Disorders Mirror Mirror. N.p., 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 22
     Apr. 2012. <http://www.mirror-mirror.org/
     graphs-on-eating-disorders.htm>.

More and more American women suffer from eating disorders. The most common eating disorder that American women suffer from is Bulimia Nervosa. 

Bulimia is characterized by a cycle of binge eating followed by purging to try and rid the body of unwanted calories. A binge is different for all individuals. For one person a binge may range from 1000 to 10000 calories, for another, one cookie may be considered a binge. Purging methods usually involve vomiting and laxative abuse. Other forms of purging can involve excessive exercise, fasting, use of diuretics, diet pills and enemas (Thompson).  

Anorexia Nervosa is a less common eating disorder in America, however, it is becoming much more common-especially in America's Youth. 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.8(The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders). Eating disorders do not only hold the title for effecting young women, but also "have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness" (Sullivan).

Anorexia is characterized by a significant weight loss resulting from excessive dieting. Most women and an increasing number of men are motivated by the strong desire to be thin and a fear of becoming obese. Anorexics consider themselves to be fat, no matter what their actual weight is. Often anorexics do not recognize they are underweight and may still "feel fat" at 80 lbs. Anorexics close to death will show you on their bodies where they feel they need to lose weight. In their attempts to become even thinner, the anorexic will avoid food and taking in calories at all costs, which can result in death. An estimated 10 to 20% will eventually die from complications related to it (Thompson). 

The statistical evidence of eating disorder's effect on our youth is devastating and truly shows the horrors that can amount from the media.

Self Esteem

The largest negative impact the media has on women is the exact thing the media targets: self-esteem. Women of all ages face their poor self-esteem, influenced and made so because of the media, on a daily basis. 

• 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat (Mellin et al., 1991).
• 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner (Collins, 1991).
• 47% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures (Levine).
• In a survey of 185 female students on a college campus, 58% felt pressure to be a certain weight, and of the 83% that dieted for weight loss, 44% were of normal weight (Nutrition Journal).  
• 
  

  4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful, and that anxiety about looks begins at an early age (Dove Campaign for Real Beauty).
• In a study of over 1,200 10-to-17-year-olds, a majority of girls, 72%, said they felt tremendous pressure to be beautiful (Dove Campaign for Real Beauty).
• 11% of girls around the world feel comfortable using the word beautiful to describe their looks, showing that there is a universal increase in beauty pressure and a decrease in girls' confidence as they grow older (Dove Campaign for Real Beauty).
•  2% of women around the world would describe themselves as beautiful (Dove Campaign for Real Beauty).

All of this can lead to many negative results:

1. Self Harm
2. Depression
3. Unhealthy Dieting-Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives (Neumark-Sztainer). 
4. Early Sex-Sexualization of content is only increasing.  The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that of the approximately 14,000 references to sex a teen will see each year in the media, only 165 will contain any reference to delaying sex, using contraceptives, or avoiding sexually transmitted diseases (Portrayal of Women in the Popular Media).
5. Sexual Harrasment-Music videos that contain unflattering and aggressive lyrics about women are also of concern to women’s and children’s advocates, many of whom see this gender baiting filtering its way down to sexual harassment of girls in schools (Portrayal of Women in the Popular Media).

Cosmetic Market

Women in America spend thousands and thousands of dollars on cosmetic surgery, cosmetic products (such as anti-aging creams), and other non-surgical procedures (such as botox, waxing, or other injections). All of the money women spend on cosmetics, whether it be surgical or non-surgical, is due to the media's constant pressure of what women should look like. 

 "Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Statistics." Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Research. N.p., 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cosmeticplasticsurgerystatistics.com/statistics.html>.

 "Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Statistics." Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Research. N.p., 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cosmeticplasticsurgerystatistics.com/statistics.html>.

 "Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Statistics." Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Research. N.p., 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cosmeticplasticsurgerystatistics.com/statistics.html>.

All of these graphs show the vast amount of money and time spent by women "to better" their appearance.

Conclusions:

Many negative effects on women result from the portrayal of women in the media, but the exact causes from the media are an important aspect to understand in order to make change for women's portrayal in the media and life. What are those causes?

Sources

1. Thompson, Colleen. "Eating Disorders." Eating Disorders Mirror Mirror. N.p., 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.mirror-mirror.org/graphs-on-eating-disorders.htm>.

2. American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 152 (7), July 1995, p. 1073-1074, Sullivan, Patrick F.

3. "Dove Campaign for Real Beauty." Dove. Dove, 2012. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. 

     <http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx>.

4. The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, “Eating Disorders 101 Guide: A Summary of Issues, Statistics and Resources,” 2003.

5. Mellin, L., McNutt, S., Hu, Y., Schreiber, G.B., Crawford, P., & Obarzanek, E. (1991). A longitudinal study of the dietary practices of black and white girls 9 and 10 years old at enrollment: The NHLBI growth and health study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 23-37.

6. Prevention of Eating Problems with Elementary Children, Michael Levine, USA Today, July 1998.

7. Nutrition Journal. March 31, 2006.

8. Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2005). I’m, Like, SO Fat!. New York: The Guilford Press. pp. 5.

9.  "Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Statistics." Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Research. N.p., 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cosmeticplasticsurgerystatistics.com/statistics.html>.
10."Portrayal of Women in the Popular Media ." Global Status of Women. World Savvy 

     Monitor, 2012. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://worldsavvy.org/monitor/index.phpoption=com_content&view=article&id=602&Itemid=1049>.