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Body Image & Eating Comparison with Models in Advertisements
Research has shown time and time again that the media significantly influences people’s body image [1]. Media sources include magazines, social media, television, movies, and advertisements. Media is constantly flooding people with messages about what their bodies should look like.
Even though these standards are often unrealistic and the result of photo editing, individuals still absorb these ideas. These ideas then lead to the standards someone has for themselves and others. This standard then shapes our body image.
What Impact Does Body Image Have?
Body image is the way someone feels or thinks about the way they look. This is something that everyone deals with to some degree, but for people with eating disorders, body image can have a big impact on their well-being [1].
Negative body image can come from feeling that your body shape or size isn’t attractive. This belief can lead to disordered eating or abusive exercise if someone is trying to change the way they look. As if this wasn’t enough to deal with, research is showing that media also influences the beliefs people have about food [2].
How Do Models Change How People View Food in Advertisements?
A recent study was conducted to explore advertisements’ impact on people’s beliefs about food [2]. The research shows that advertisements with models eating high-calorie foods tend to have a negative impact [2]. In these types of advertisements, people were more likely to believe that they couldn’t eat the same food without gaining weight [2].
However, in advertisements showing high-calorie foods without models, people were more likely to feel that they could eat this food and maintain their weight [2]. The study also showed that these ads negatively impacted viewers’ satisfaction with their bodies [2].
The study suggests that because of the impact that food ads can have on people’s body image, it could be helpful to just not have food ads [2]. While this may be helpful, it isn’t a long-term solution. It would be more helpful if people didn’t feel the need to choose what they eat based on if they think it will make them gain weight or not.
The fact that these ads lead to body dissatisfaction highlights a societal issue. American society is obsessed with being thin. Thin bodies are seen as the only attractive and acceptable bodies. While many people justify this idea by saying thin is healthiest, the truth is that health can exist at every size. Bodies are not meant to be the same size or shape.
Societal Norms and Body Image
People in larger bodies often feel a lot of shame because physical appearance is connected to self-worth. So basically, the feeling is that if you aren’t thin, then something is wrong with who you are on the inside. This is complete nonsense, but this shame is a reflection of the distorted societal value of thinness.
While it will take a lot of work to change this societal idea, it can be done. In the meantime, it can help to focus on your relationship with your own body. One way to do this is to begin valuing your body for more than what it looks like.
Your body does so much for you every moment of every day. Focusing on your body’s capabilities can help create a more balanced view of your body. For example, if you feel critical of your thighs, you can also acknowledge what your thighs do for you. Maybe your thighs let you climb mountains, or they might make the coziest seat for the children in your life.
Practicing gratitude for all your body does for you can take some pressure off of what your body looks like. While healing body image is a process, it’s possible.
Resources:
[1] National Eating Disorders Association. (2018). Statistics and Research on Eating Disorders. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders [2] Blomquist, K.K., Schmalz, D.L., Pate, S.P., & Willmerdinger, A. (2020). What happens when you compare yourself to a model eating a cheeseburger? An experiment testing the impact of models promoting calorie-dense foods on beliefs about weight maintenance, body satisfaction, and purchase intent. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8(55), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00335-yAbout the Author:
Samantha Bothwell, LMFT, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, writer, explorer, and lipstick aficionado. She became a therapist after doing her own healing work so she could become whole after spending many years living with her mind and body disconnected. She has focused her clinical work to support the healing process of survivors of sexual violence and eating disorders. She is passionate about guiding people in their return to their truest Self so they can live their most authentic, peaceful life.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective on eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Published December 18, 2020, on EatingDisorderHope.com
Reviewed & Approved on December 18, 2020, by Jacquelyn Ekern MS, LPC
