When you look at people who are represented in the media today, you mainly see stick thin models and women who are deemed an “acceptable size”. The media portrays women who wear size negative zero clothing are “perfect” and anyone other than that, are ridiculed and judged. People, mainly women, are constantly dieting and trying to change the way they look.
According to the article “Nature vs. Nurture: The Media’s Effect on Body Image” by Sara Shea, the media does, in fact, “glamorize” thin people. Even young men are dealing with the media scrutinizing weight.
“The “thin ideal” is the media’s glamorized portrayal of extremely thin women. While this phenomenon primarily affects women between the ages of 18 and 25, it has also been proven to effect adolescents as well as males.” states the article.
The media can affect people in various ways. Some young women, even children, could be so self-conscious about their weight, that they would go as far as developing an eating disorder to lose weight and be the "perfect" size.
The Disney Channel, a network for children, has been called out on promoting eating disorders in an episode of the sitcom “Shake It Up” by one of their former employees, Demi Lovato. One of the characters in the episode says: “I could just eat you up. Well, if I ate…” which has the underlying meaning of saying that she suffers from an eating disorder.
The former Disney starlet has recently come out to the public and stated that she suffered from eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. Upon seeing the episode and hearing this remark, Lovato took to Twitter.
“What are we promoting here? #notfunnyatall. I find it really funny how a company can lose one of their actress' from the pressures of an eating disorder and yet still make a joke about that very disease.” wrote Lovato.
She then followed her statement with another message; "And is it just me or are the actress' getting thinner and thinner? I miss the days of Raven, and Lizzie McGuire. Eating disorders are not something to joke about." Promptly after these tweets, Disney pulled the episode.
One would think that a children's network would support healthy eating habits, not ones that suggest not eating entirely, just to keep a slim figure. The media has a very powerful pull on society, and the next generation is so immersed in the media, that they will take everything that is being said and think that is how they should look. If a young girl sees a model on a magazine, which is a size one, she will believe that that is how she is supposed to look, and she will go throughout her life trying to be that size.
It is not healthy for people to be subjected to these ideals that the media puts on them. What the media does not realize, is that what they put out in magazines and television shows could potentially push a person with an eating disorder over the edge. It seems that no matter what, the media is always somehow criticizing someone. If you're overweight, you are criticized. If you're too skinny, you're criticized. Sometimes, it seems like nothing is ever good enough. And that is not a good message.
I am very surprised and shocked to learn that the Disney channel allowed a line such as that to be broadcasted as a humorous joke. Kids, teens and even adults look up to celebrities, and eating disorders are nothing to joke about. I really enjoyed your article, it was very informative!
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