Media, Society, and Female Body Image

Why is it that a majority of the females that are in the media are fit? This hardly represents the reality in society, but of course, this is what society is portraying to females everywhere. Of course there are negative and positive sides to this. It can motivate people to try to lose weight and become healthier or it can go negatively when it leads to a weight image obsession that leads to a low self esteem or eating disorders. In recent years there has been a big push towards positive body image reinforcement, but it hasn't changed how the media portrays women.

Those who think that the media's image on fit bodies is completely negative and that we should love our body as is, have a good idea. Loosing weight, through eating healthier foods and exercising, is very positive for one's health. Even changing one's diet and daily routines, not necessarily loosing weight, will help females feel healthier and better inside.

The image of the female body has been idealized for years as skinny, fit, and toned. This can cause lots of low self esteem among females who do not have this specific body type. Negative body image and low self esteem can effect one's contentment. There are those who take negative actions due to low self esteem, such as extreme dieting or not eating at all. This is not healthy as most know, but because they want to attain the ideal image portrayed by the media, they are motivated to continue their bad habits. It is also hard to escape because the media is everywhere we go, from the places we eat to our television sets at home.

Think twice when judging the media as negative or positive, as nothing is black and white. When it comes to the female body image portrayed by society and the media, having a healthier lifestyle is much more important than trying to obtain the perfect female body image through unhealthy means.