1. Portrayal of Women in the Media
Vedika Rai
Andrea Riolo
Reanna Aikawa

2. History of Women in Media
1920’s – The Victorian hourglass figure gave way to the pencil thin flapper
1950’s -  A thin woman with large breast was seen as most desirable

3. History-1960s
By the 1960’s slenderness became the single most important indicator of physical attractiveness following the arrival of British Super Model Twiggy
Playboy Magazine also promoted the slim body type as ideal between

4. History
’s- There was an overall increased emphasis on weight loss and body shape in the content of a popular women's magazine such as Cosmopolitan and Vogue

5. History-1990’s
The ideal body type for women was slight and slender but with a more athletic and toned look.

6. Jean Kilbourne’s Research
“Advertising creates a mythical, mostly white world in which people are rarely ugly, overweight, poor, struggling or disabled, either physically or mentally”
“Scientific studies and the most casual viewing yield the same conclusion: women are shown almost exclusively as housewives or sex objects”
“Many women internalize these stereotypes and learn their limitations, thus establishing a self-fulfilling prophecy”

12. The Impact of Media on Body Image
People all over the world use the media every day. Whether it's using a computer, watching TV, reading a newspaper, or listening to the radio, media is a way to communicate. However, media also plays a big role on body image and how teenagers perceive themselves.

13. Statistics
The average weight of a model is 23% lower than that of an average woman; 20 years ago, the differential was only about 8%.
There is now a $33 billion diet industry that was non-existent 20 years ago
In the last 25 years there has been a 60% increase in females shown purely as decorative/sex objects.

14. Statistics Continued..
The body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal is naturally possessed by only 5% of females in the United States.
In a recent survey by Teen People magazine, 27% of the girls felt that the media pressures them to have a perfect body.
69% of girls in one study said that magazine models influence their idea of a perfect body shape.

15. Teen’s Body Image
How do you see yourself when looking in the mirror? Many teens worry about
how they look, "Am I too fat? Too skinny? Am I ugly, pretty or handsome?" 

16. Eating Disorders as a Result of Negative Body Image
Anorexia nervosa - People who intentionally starve themselves suffer from an eating disorder
Bulimia nervosa – People consume large amounts of food and then rid their bodies of the excess calories by vomiting, abusing laxatives or diuretics or exercising obsessively.
Binge eating disorder - An illness that resembles bulimia. Like bulimia, the disorder is characterized by episodes of uncontrolled eating or binge eating
Eating disorders have increased 400% since 1970

17. Television shows promoting Plastic Surgery
The Swan -contestants undergo painful surgeries in pursuit of winning a beauty pageant
I Want a Famous Face- young adults get plastic surgery with the goal of looking more like a celebrity
Bridalplasty-12 engaged women who are competing for the wedding of their dreams and their dream plastic surgery procedure

18. Television shows promoting Plastic Surgery…..

19. Media and Plastic Surgery

20. Trends in Plastic Surgery

22. Solution-Media Watchdog
Students, educators, parents, eating disorders sufferers, and concerned consumers work to improve media messages about size, weight and beauty
Encourage companies and advertisers to send healthy media messages regarding body size and shape
Recognizing advertisements that send healthy body image messages, as well as pointing out advertisements that send negative body image messages

23. References
Media and body image. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Eating disorder. (2011). Retrieved from
Timofeyev, A, & Sharff, K. (2002). Suicide. Retrieved from
Gerber, Robin., (2010) Beauty and Body Image in the Media. Media awareness Network. (
Mask, L., & Blanchard, C. M. (2011). The protective role of general self-determination against ‘thin ideal’ media exposure on women’s body image and eating-related concerns. Journal of Health Psychology, 16(3), doi: /
SWAMI, V., TAYLOR, R., & CARVALHO, C. (2011). Body dissatisfaction assessed by the Photographic Figure Rating Scale is associated with sociocultural, personality, and media influences. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 52(1), doi: /j x
Knobloch-Westerwick, S., & Romero, J. P. (2011). Body Ideals in the Media: Perceived Attainability and Social Comparison Choices. Media Psychology, 14(1), doi: /