“5 million to 10 million American girls and women and 1 million boys and men face eating disorders”(USA today.com). Is this what we want our future to look like? Many people are facing this dilemma because society is portraying “thin” is the healthy way to live life, and the fashion world is no stranger to this subject.
Many young girl models are starving themselves by not eating right or drugs abuse to stay under the “expected weight” which is usually under 100 pounds. Carer Otis, a supermodel whose works include “the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and Calvin Klein ads” (USA today.com), describes her past as a never-ending diet. Her method included “starvation and diet pills to laxative to fasting” (USA today.com). From the way she describes her torturing diet, it’s obvious that she did not like it at all, but the pressure to be the best in what she does triumphed her own health problem.
Consequently, this problem is being nurtured by us. We provide these companies the incentives to produce these kind of images. We choose to buy their products for example: fashion magazines, diet pills and other diet products, but we can stop this dilemma right now if we stick together and show our voices.
Like wise, we need to support products that are trying to suppress this problem for example the Dove campaign. They have everyday women with different skin colors and sizes to promote their products. These kind of campaigns can help women all over the world. Its message is very simple but relevant to many people, and it is to be comfortable in your own skin. This is a pioneer method that can and will expand if we are behind them a hundred percent.
Quang Pham
Work Cited
Avenaim, Jerry. "Carre Otis models healthy eating."
USA today.com. 24 February 2003. Web. 5 October. 2010.
<http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlighthealth/2003-02-24-carre-otis-_x.htm>.
Pictures
<http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/09/13/1157826986045.html>
<http://www.nancyhayssen.com/blog/331/doves-campaign-for-real-beauty/>
This issue has always been one that surprises me. I never find those really skinny models attractive, in fact I'm often disgusted by them. I think the dove campaign and others like them that promote being who you are is interesting but it can have a similar problem. Being overweight is just as bad as being too skinny. Some of the commercials telling people to be who you are go a bit overboard in my opinion and to me, convey the message that it is ok to be overweight. The difficulty is finding the middle ground.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Scott, I do not, never have and never will find the morbidly skinny attractive. However, I would say that more of the responsibility goes to the parents than the media to be the guide on how to eat/diet. Now, that's not saying that the media shouldn't change. I have no doubt that they should change, but I wouldn't blame them for the image that young girls think they have to live up too. That's up to the parents to fix.
ReplyDeleteGood blog though, you supported all your statements and your statements are clear.
I think that this article is interesting because I think we can all think of at least one person we know of with an eating disorder. The disorders often come from media and their pressure to be thin and fit in with the "norm". I think that it is important to have more campaigns and education about how being that skinny and unhealthy is the norm for women, because it's not. I think that the Dove campaign has good corporate social responsibility and shows how although their product focuses on the body, they also want to highlight equality and show what is actually normal and healthy among women. Although there are many other body disorders that people suffer from I think it's good, like the Dove campaign does, to just be comfortable in your own skin and to be healthy. This is a good article and I think is a very interesting factor in our society; it's something many women struggle with.
ReplyDeleteI definitely see how media pressures women to be thin. I live in sorority and it's very apparent how important being "thin" really is to some girls. I personally can't identify anyone with any sort of disorder, but I do believe that young women today should be comfortable with their bodies, rather than constantly compare themselves to thinner girls. On top of the pressures that girls face with their peers to be thin, TV shows, movies, magazines, and campaign ads all suggest that "thin is in." The slimmest women always seemed to be the most envied. The Dove campaign sends a good message as far as all women -- no matter what size, shape, age, color, ect. -- should love their bodies.
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