What do Elle MacPherson, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Diana Ross, the average fashion model, and 25% of Playboy centerfolds have in common? They all have a body mass index equivalent to or less than someone with anorexia. With these types of images constantly bombarding the general public, it is no wonder that 75% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance.

What Is Body Image?
Body image is simply how individuals view themselves. Body image encompasses more than just a person’s attitude on their physical appearance. Body image includes many more characteristics such as a person’s view of their personality, attitude and their being as a whole. Everyone has a personal body image, but it becomes problematic when the image the individual sees is routinely negative.

The Media and Body Image
A person develops his or her body image usually through comparisons with the environment. The media is the main source of information on beauty for most females. One out of 3.8 television commercials send some sort of attractiveness message. What few females realize is that the media messages are constructions, they are not reality. The media uses the female body to sell products. In order to be effective, female bodies are transfigured into an image that is considered ideal. Having these unrealistic images constantly present, people start to compare their own bodies to the prototypes. They don’t realize what went into making these images. With modern technology, certain characteristics of a normal human body can be modified and even eliminated. Air brush techniques, and even cutting and pasting body parts, can all result in a completely different image than what was initially photographed.

The Ideal Image
It is a known fact that the Barbie image is totally unrealistic and impossible, however, this is the exact image that women strive for. Instead of representing a typical female, store mannequins actually resemble Barbie more closely. The following chart compares some physical characteristics between Barbie, store mannequins, and the average woman.

	Average Woman	Barbie	Store Mannequin
Height	5’4”	6’0”	6’0”
Weight	145 lbs	101 lbs	Not available
Dress Size	11-14	4	6
Bust	36-37”	39”	34”
Waist	29-31”	19”	23”
Hips	40-42”	33”	34”

Improving Body Image
Individuals themselves decide how to experience the media messages they encounter. Understanding how unrealistic female bodies are portrayed can help ease the stress of manipulating their bodies to look like the images. Recognizing faulty representations and commending accurate images can begin shifting the mind set to a healthier state.

Using BMI, a formula that compares height and weight to determine status of body make up, should not be the only method in rating individuals’ health, but a red flag is produced when a common trend appears in a grouping of BMIs. It is a health concern when women feel the need to acquire a body that has anorexic qualities.

Focusing on improving body image in other areas besides physical appearance is key. By recognizing other qualities and developing self worth in more than one area, a person won’t have to rely on just physical appearance to appreciate his or her entire entity.

Copyright© 1999-2006 Kevin Kelly, LRD. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.

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