Jennifer Guzman

Professor Connelly
English 2
30 November 2016
Research Essay
Body image is a topic that affects every individual in our society. Particularly in first
world countries, like America. Although it does affect both male and female, it is typically more
generated throughout woman. According to the campaign dosomething.org, approximately
ninety one percent of women are unsatisfied with their body shape. This results into dieting,
which in many cases leads to eating disorders among the women population. Within that
population. Ninety five percent of people with eating disorders are between the ages of twelve
and twenty five. Unfortunately, only ten percent suffering from eating disorders will go receive
professional help. Society itself has contributed to the problem with body image. The Invisible
Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons explores the illusion of confidence and
illusion of attention. The illusion of attention and confidence both coincide with the effects of
body image in our society.
The illusion of confidence has two different aspects. The first is that this illusion causes
us to overestimate our own qualities, especially our abilities relative to other people. Second, it
causes us to interpret the confidence (or lack of) that other people express as a valid signal of
their own abilities (85). This is an everyday illusion that society experiences and is also
associated with body image. Because society has established what is a great body, it has caused
womens confidence to be put at halt. There is not a single written law that states that in order to
have confidence, one must be a size zero. Confidence is personal and varies with every

individual. The article A Theory of Self Esteem by Alicia D. Cast and Peter J. Burke, the
theory of self esteem can be associated with confidence. The studies conducted showed that the
idea that self esteem can be understood as a main factor of the basic identity process. The more
self esteem an individual has in reserve the more the individual has to match their identity
standards. Self esteem, identity, and confidence are all cognitive. (Alicia D. Cast and Peter J.
Burke) The advertisements and constant social reminder of being skinny and beautiful has
interrupted our levels of confidence and has become a form of identifying ourselves.
The illusion of attention is a vivid experience. According to Chabris and Simons, ...we
vividly experience some aspects of our world, particularly those that are the focus of our
attention. But this rich experience inevitably leads to the erroneous belief that we process all of
the detailed information around us (7). In Chabris and Simons research, it is clear that our
society focuses their attention on what they believe is the center of attention, when in reality
society is missing the bigger picture. When one is too focused on the details, they forget to step
back and critically analyze the actual situation. In this case, women focusing their attention on
being slim like models and celebrities stops them from analyzing the true problem. The problem
is not the models being thin, nor is it a problem that an individual has more curves, the problem
is that society has globally defined that a slim women is the one and only perfect women.
Because illusion of attention in the subject of body image, many women have fallen into a low
self esteem towards their body and has even resulted in eating disorders in many cases.
In the year of 2007, consumers bought $1.67 billion dollars worth of weight-loss
supplements. Many have a misconception of dieting. Dieting is about feeding one's body with
the appropriate amount of nutrients and vitamins. Today, many eliminate carbohydrates and fats

all together. The word dieting and nutrition have been unlinked in our society (Dieting Dangers:
Fad Dieting is Fad Dieting). This has resulted in eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia.
Anorexia Nervosa is a common eating disorder where the individual starves themselve,
leading to excessive weight loss. About ninety to ninety five percent who have anorexia nervosa
are girls and women. This diagnostic has one of the highest death rates of any mental health
condition. This eating disorder has many harming factors that intrude individuals health.
Including, muscle loss, dehydration, dry hair and skin, hair loss, and dangerously elevate or
decrease blood pressure drastically. (Anorexia Nervosa)
Bulimia Nervosa is also a eating disorder among the female population. This occurs when
the individual intentionally vomits in response to binge eating. The diagnostic affects about 1 to
two percent and about eighty percent of them are women. Because this disorder is forcing
oneself to vomit, it can lead to inflammation and even rupture in the esophagus because of the
acid that is exposed to your esophagus when one is vomiting consecutively. The acid also affects
the individuals teeth. There is an imbalance of electrolytes in the body as well, that can
eventually lead up to irregular heartbeats. (Bulimia Nervosa)
With both diagnostics like Anorexia and Bulimia, it is clear that our society needs be
more aware. This falls into the illusion of attention. Our society only pays attention to what is
visually in front of us. They see a beautiful model in front of them, size zero, perfect skin, hair,
she has it all. What individuals fail to see is the other side. There has been numerous cases that
involve models with bulimia and anorexia. Because individuals fail to understand the other side,
they also fall into cases like this. In order to be skinny like the models, they fall into malnutrition
and cause harm to their body.

Body image is portrayed through mass media. Victoria Secret being one of the massive
supporters to body image. The Statistic Portal recorded Victoria's Secret global net sale of 1.59
billion U.S dollars in the year of 2012 (President, BCG Senior Vice). On a more local level, the
Victoria's Secret in Visalia, California, made a total of seventy two thousand dollars on the
annual Black friday sale of 2016. Seventy two thousand of dollars spent at our local store. This
information is derived from the store managers themselves. The Victoria's Secret Network
generate millions. Many individuals purchase interior clothing caused by the fad of owning
pieces from the brand name store that feature what society calls perfect and beautiful models.
In the year of 2014, Victoria Secret launched a campaign for their body by Victoria bra.
The campaigned title was The Perfect Body featuring ten very slim models. The campaign
made millions of women upset. Women have enough with trying to be healthy and for a
campaign with a slogan like the Victoria's Secret one, is very depressing. Advertisements like
this is one of the main causes that lead women to eating disorders and obsessions over their body
image.
It appears to be that social media is the blame for body image and many may be offended
by this argument. They believe that social media should not be blamed for the problem of body
image, but a thin body has been stapled to societys mind from a young age. For example, body
image is even demonstrated through Barbies. As the child grows, the conception of a perfect
body only grows. If individuals are growing up in a society where advertisements and even
music itself claims what a beatiful body is, how is this clearly not going to affect our mindset?,
Helga Dittmar discussed two different psychological approaches that occur when a woman sees a
model on television or any other form of media. The two approaches are the comparison process
and the fantasy process. There is a link between "body perfect" ideals, body image and eating

disorders (How do Body Perfect Ideals in the Media have a Negative Impact on Body image
and Behaviors). Therefore it is fair to say that mass media has been influential and a
contributing factor to the confidence levels of many women.
Elizandra Ramirez, 20 year old female from Tulare County, said I buy their interior
because they make me feel pretty, I love wearing a matching set, it makes me feel like them,
although I know I do not look like them. This was Ramirez's response when I asked her why
she enjoyed shopping at Victoria's Secret. She is not the only one who has bought something to
make her feel beautiful. Although this links with the illusion of confidence, interior clothing
should not have to associate with how beautiful one is. Having confidence in oneself is
important, but to have it be determined by a matching bra and panty is not acceptable. One
shouldnt measure themselves to the standards of models. Ones body size should not determine
the beauty of a person. Its false confidence.
The illusion of attention and illusion of confidence has contributed to false confidence in
body the aspects of body image. Body image in women has been a harm to our society. Society
has not realized that we have experienced the illusion of attention and confidence in the aspects
of body image. It has caused eating disorders and misconceptions of what beauty is.

Work cited
"Anorexia Nervosa." National Eating Disorders Association. RoseWood Centers for Eating
Disorders, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.
"Bulimia Nervosa." National Eating Disorders Association. RoseWood Centers for Eating
Disorders, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.
President, BCG Senior Vice. "Net Sales of Victoria's Secret Worldwide 2011-2015, by Segment |
Statistic." Statista. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.