BODY IMAGE-WHO’S TO BLAME-DISTORTED IDEAS

ESSAY TOPIC

Photos of celebrities overwhelm magazines and the tabloids not only focus on
their achievements and personal lives but also on their outstanding and dainty
figures.
Do you think the prevailing image we have of what is an attractive body shape is
realistic or fair? Why?/ Why not? Give examples to support your views.

Outstanding= striking
dainty= delicate
figure= body shape
overwhelm= overload

Magazine Photos: Truth or Lies?

Most people today know that air-brushing is used in magazines to make women
look “perfect”’ However, some people may not realize just how much these photos
are altered. Are your readers aware of how photographic technology can manipulate
reality and how serious this issue is?
One of the most well-known air-brushing stories involved British actress Kate
Winslet. The movie star is famous for her full figure, but on the cover of a popular
magazine she suddenly appeared to be extremely thin. Kate Winslet’s photo had been
doctored so much that it no longer reflected reality. The star herself complained about
the picture, saying that she didn’t approve of the digitally-enhanced image.
The trouble with that image – the extremely thin body, those long legs, that perfect
skin without any wrinkles – was that it didn’t reflect reality. Does anybody really
look like that in real life? Of course not. These idealized images have a huge effect on
girls’ body image and how they feel about themselves. “I wish I looked like that. If
only I were as thin as the model in this photo,” they say. They often feel depressed,
have no confidence, and may suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia or
bulimia.
To sum up, photographic technology is often used in the media to present an
unrealistic image of women. Pictures such as the air-brushed photo of Kate Winslet
are fake and distort our idea of beauty. We need pictures of young women that reflect
the truth and show that real people are beautiful even if they are not “perfect.”

Body image is both internal (personal) and external (society) 

This includes:

• How we perceive our bodies visually

• How we feel about our physical appearance
• How we think and talk to ourselves about our bodies
• Our sense of how other people view our bodies 
BODY IMAGE-WHO’S TO BLAME-DISTORTED IDEAS

The greater our discontent with how we measure up when compared to the societal
or media supported norms, the more negative our body image, and the greater the
risk for extreme weight or body control behaviours.
• Extreme dieting
• Extreme exercise compulsion
• Eating disorders
• Extreme or unnecessary plastic surgery
• Using steroids for muscle building 
Who’s to blame for our body perceptions
Society gives us a number of reference points that shape our perceptions whether
positive or negative. / Today’s embedded ideals
• unrealistic images of beauty, genetically impossible for many of us to emulate.
• unattainable bodies
• perfect skin, tiny waists
The media is a powerful tool that reinforces cultural beliefs and values, and while it
may not be fully responsible for determining the standards for physical attractiveness,
it makes escaping the barrage of images and attitudes almost impossible.
• intolerance of body diversity
• prejudice of size and shape
• Being overweight is associated with the lazy, ugly, weak, and lacking in will-
power
Family and friends are particularly important in body image development
because we place high value on them

Positive body image involves understanding that healthy attractive bodies come
in many shapes and sizes, and that physical appearance says very little about
our character or value as a person.