teenage girls compare their body size to those of popular actresses and supermodels such as Jennifer Aniston and Elizabeth Hurley. With examples such as these, is society sending out the wrong message? Vast amounts of people consider these women too thin. Yet, teenage girls still strive to reach their body types. Frequently they may turn to eating disorders in order to reach their goal. According to the National Eating Disorder Information Center, the number of anorexic and bulimic women has increased dramatically over the past 30 years due to the obsession with the body and constant weight watchingThe media has a major contribution to the drastic change in women’s weight over a period of time. Thanks to television, magazines and movies, we are constantly given the impression that “thin is in.” Magazines for teenage girls generally contain articles on looks, where the emphasis is on make-up, fashion, weight and how to attract boys. Surprisingly $20 billion is spent on cosmetic ads and $40 billion is spent on the diet industry each year! Both target mainly women. Because of the media, women often feel that 1) in order to be successful you must be thin, 2) Guys often are attracted to thin girls rather than heavyset women, and 3) thin is crucial to physical attractiveness. By comparing statistics such as these to the 19th century, it is obvious that over a period of time, society has altered the way we view the ideal women and their weight. Unfortunately, body dissatisfaction is occurring in younger and younger ages. Being children and young teens are growing up in a culture that is obsessed with thinness, they are learning body dissatisfaction through the media. Not only is the media affecting them, their parents may be as well. Watching their mom or dad partake in the latest diet or stress about their weight teaches their children to be dissatisfied with their own bodies. In California surveys were hande...
