Cultural and Media Influences on Health Michael Todd

Media Influence

Topics of Interest Body Image Exercise Sexuality

Body Image Average Woman Height 5’4” Weight 145lbs Dress Bust 36-37” Waist 29-31” Barbie 6’0” 101lbs 4 39” 19” Store Mannequin 6’0” N/A 6 34” 23”

Celebrities Body Image Julia Roberts Pamela Anderson Jennifer Lopez Height 5’9” 5’7” 5’6” Weight 120lbs 105lbs 120lbs Dress N/A N/A N/A Bust 34” 36” 34” Waist 23” 22” 24”

Body Weight (Television) " One of the ways that the media is affecting the whole epidemic of obesity is the very heavy advertising…particularly on children's shows with fast foods, high sugar, high caloric, high fat foods, bombarding them with the message that this is the kind of food that they should be eating.“ Dr. Alvin Poussaint

Television cont’d Young children and advertising What are children doing with free time?

Exercise The goal: To change body composition

BMI What would the BMI say about these two guys? Height Weight BMI 6’3” 220lbs ’3” 220lbs 27.5 This is a good reminder that BMI is only one piece of a persons health profile

Fitness Fitness people come from an athletic model (team sports, coaches, PE teachers)

Fitness cont’d How do we measure someone’s fitness? Performance based model. Is this essential for measuring individual health ?

Fitness cont’d How many of you remember Presidential Fitness testing in school? How much exercise is enough? Take home Message!!! We are trying to change your health, not your fitness level.

Sexuality Where do teens get the message? Kaiser Family Foundation. What’s “cool” Every Year

How should you decide if you need to lose weight? Societal role models? Are you supposed to the celebrities mentioned earlier? Media? Television, Magazines, Radio, Internet Height/weight charts? BMI charts? Standing on a scale?

The goal With weight loss and body image, the goal should be to change body composition. Healthy isn't specific to a weight.

Conclusion Parents need to monitor the programs that our children watch. Children need to get answers from their parents and educators, not the media. As adults, we need to be better aware of the media influences around us. Be happy with who you are and send that healthy image on to our youth.