For many years, modeling has been a controversial topic that sparks many different types of issues. One of the main issues was and still is the body types of the models that are in magazines, commercials, ads, etc. Many would agree that when you see models in the media, they almost never have a “normal” or “average” weight. In fact, for editorial/fashion modeling, female models must be a minimum of (5’8”) and weigh 90 to 120 pounds. Male models must be a minimum of (5’9”) and weight 120 to 170 pounds. Most modeling agencies will probably display this information and then put a disclaimer saying that you shouldn’t be discouraged and that you should try to model even if you don’t fit the exact requirements. However, the chance of becoming a model even when you do fit the requirements is about 2%, which makes it safe to say that the chances of becoming a model when you do not fit the requirements is nearly impossible. For years, models that were hired were then bound by contract required to maintain the same weight, or ’brand image’ that they had when they were originally signed. To ensure that models did not exceed their original weight, they were required to have ‘weigh ins’. If a model’s weight was higher or even lower than their original weight, their career was automatically at great risk, and their contract could have easily dissolved. The biggest issue was that it did not matter how these models maintained their weight, as long as it stayed the same during the weigh ins.  

So how does this affect people? One of the most popular issues is the direct involvement with modeling and eating disorders. Studies have shown that the media “play a significant role in the etiology of eating disorders”, (BMA, 2000) and that the body size of most models is often more than 20% underweight. (Spitzer, Henderson & Zivian, 1999) There have been countless numbers of studies to show that the way women are portrayed in the media through models affect the body image of young adults. One study, (Field, Camargo, Taylor, Berkeley & Colditz, 1999; Field, Camargo, Taylor, Berkeley, Roberts, & Colditz, 2001) showed that girls who made more of a daily effort to look like the models in commercials, ads, billboards, etc., were more likely to develop poor body image and begin to purge over a one year period. Other studies suggest that young women feel worse after they are simply exposed to images of very thin models rather than other images and that showing them “average” sized models actually give them a relief effect. 

According to a self-generated survey, 86.7% of girls said that they have felt insecure about their appearance after viewing images of models. In addition, 76% said that they disagree with the statement, “The modeling industry teaches models and young women confidence and positive self esteem.”, and 83% said that they agree with the statement, “The modeling industry is a cause of poor body image and other serious issues such as eating disorders, self harm, etc.” 

The examples of these studies are never ending, but, truth be told, we do not even need studies or statistics to see that the majority of high fashion models are disturbingly skinny, and that it can very likely be the reason that so many young adults are developing eating disorders. Thus, we are left with more questions. Why does the fashion industry continue to hire the same type of models, even after seeing the damaging issues that it can cause for young women and men? Is it possible that a thinner frame is simply better for advertising effectiveness? According to a spokesperson for the modeling agency responsible for top models such as Naomi Campbell asserts that 

“Statistics have repeatedly shown that if you stick a beautiful skinny girl

on the cover of a magazine you sell more copies… At the end of the day, it

is a business and the fact is that these models sell the products.” 

(Gillian, 2000, p. 7). 

This is true in a sense; experimental studies show that the more attractive the model is, the more the consumer is drawn in to the product, and ultimately the more likely they are to make the purchase. However, the specific size or weight of the model has not been proven to have the same good results, or any results at all for that matter. While there is definite support for the attractiveness of the model leading to more purchases of the particular product being sold, there is still no real evidence as to why these companies would specifically look for a very thin model to represent them. Certainly, if attractiveness was all these companies were searching for, it would be easy for many more women and men of a variety of shapes and sizes to become models. But, as we see, this is not the case. Another argument made by the companies and advertisers, with proof to back it up, is that studies have also shown that women who are already comfortable and confident in their bodies do not get affected by the images of very thin models that surround us all. However, the number of women who are uncomfortable with their bodies outnumber those few confident ones so much that it is described as a “normative discontent”. (Rodin, Silberstein, & Striegel-Moore, 1985). So we still arrive at the same conclusion; although there are certainly some women who can be exposed to countless images of very thin models and be unaffected, a larger number of women are being negatively affected by the unrealistic body types of the models we see everywhere. But does this necessarily mean that the cause of these negative perceptions of personal body image is the models that we see regularly? It is difficult to say; one can easily argue that everything ultimately depends on the person viewing the models. Although the majority of women are more likely to have issues with their body image, who is to say that these issues are direct effects of the fashion industry and its depictions of beauty? These are questions that may never be answered. 

As we see, even after viewing all of the negative aspects of modeling, there are some positives to take into consideration. The training that models get from their agencies not only teach them to be the best models they can be, but they also teach them life lessons such as “poise, posture, personalized branding and style, grooming, business acumen, etiquette, how to work well under pressure and with an extreme variety of personalities, anger management, how to work independently and as a team, flexibility, negotiation, and customer service skills”.

Surprisingly, while most studies and reports focus solely on the negative effects of modeling on females, there are certainly many ways in which it affects men. Jennifer Aubrey, a leading researcher of medias effects conducted three different studies that all showed just how far the effects on men can go. In her research, which is now published in Human Communication Research, she found that men feel that they need to be appealing enough to fit the standards that a female model would have, because of her own appearance. In the first study, she exposed men to different magazines, such as Maxim, FHM, etc., and found that readers pick up on not only the visual aspects of the magazines, (sexually suggestive nature), but the textual aspects as well (fashion, sex, technology, culture, etc.) When she measured the men’s anxiety due to poor body image, she found that although most of the images were sexualized female models, the men still felt self conscious about their own bodies. To conclude the test, she divided the men into two groups. One group received pictures of attractive females, while the other received the same pictures, only added to them were average looking “boyfriends” with explanations about how female models prefer average looking men. “We found that the men who viewed the ads with the average-looking boyfriend in the picture reported less body self-consciousness than the men who saw the ads with just the model,” says Aubrey. “When the men felt that the model in the ad liked average looking guys, it took the pressure off of them and made them less self conscious about their own bodies.” 

Now that it is becoming more well known that modeling can lead to various types of issues and disorders in young adults, some agencies are actually trying to make a change. These positive changes are bringing many supporters, and, after all of those studies that show the negative effects of these same companies, most of the supporters are female. Very well known modeling agencies such as Ford models and Wilhelmina were first to expand their standards to plus size female models. In 2004, Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ campaign targeted specifically plus size models and average size models. In response to an incident where a model suffered from heart failure due to an eating disorder, a paradigm shift in the model industry occurred during Madrid Fashion Week, and it was announced that models had to have a BMI of at least 18 to participate in the fashion shows, referred to as the ‘Spanish ban’. The plus size movement continues as Wilhelmina modeling agency started the ‘Curves for Change’ movement in 2010, where average size models advocate for a variety of charities that empower women. Clearly, there are many different ways for these agencies to expand their standards and finally start addressing the problems that are becoming increasingly common. It is only a matter of time before we see how far they are willing to go to accommodate the needs of their models and their young audiences. 

It is true that the controversy that the fashion industry causes has many different issues that may never be resolved. Although there are many reasons to hate the entire corporation, there are also many reasons to see that they just may be trying to make positive changes in their standards and their portrayal of women in the media. However, regardless of the efforts to make up for years of destruction, the damage is done. There is no way to make up for the lives that have been ruined because of the harsh requirements that models must follow in order to keep a career in a field they love. Modeling can certainly be looked at in many positive ways, but that does not take away from the fact that the industry is tainted in many ways, and due to their faults, young innocent minds are affected every day. 

We’ve all seen the recent pictures of a stockily thin and ill looking Macaulay Culkin. Its hard to believe the man now knocking on death’s door is the same sweet child that made us laugh with his crazy inventions to stupid the bad guys on Home Alone 1 and 2. 

The 31 year old actor was recently pictured looking like a frail old man as he stopped to chat to fans in New York. Macaulay’s representatives claim there is nothing wrong with the home alone actor saying he was ” in good health “. 

I am not convinced. Everyone says there fine and a few months later they are dead. I hate to say it but it wouldn’t surprise me if Macaulay was the next Celebrity to die and tragic death and leave this earth. I hope he cleans on his act and begins to lead a healthy responsible lifestyle before its too late.

If you want to know for sure that you are not going to regret making one of the most important steps in your life towards happiness, ask yourself these few questions before proceeding to do what it takes to get your ex back. The first question to ask if you feel sentimental to nearly every single romantic song you hear. The next question you may ask is if you are suffering from an eating disorder, whether it is pigging out or loss of appetite. The third question can be what the signs of anxiety that I am exhibiting.

If you get to answer any or all of the three questions and see that you are suffering from the pain of losing your ex, it may be high time for you to take the right steps in getting your ex back. Lack of action will only delay your reunion or may be even make you lose the opportunity of getting them back because they already have found someone else. One of the key secrets to getting your love back is by getting to know the tell tale signs that they are still interested in you. These are psychologically based researched material that will help you identify those important clues that will make you know if there’s still a spark of interest left that can be reignited. Start now and take action so that you can get your ex back and live happily ever after.

You might want to read my others pieces in the series:

One Pea is too Many

One Pea is too Many, Part Three

One Pea is too Many, Part Four

One Pea is too Many, Part Five

Image via Wikipedia

Well, Demi recently had struggled with eating disorders and cutting and decided to get some help for herself. Her representative gave some detail and lead on the situation to People magazine with the direct quote: “[Demi] fought through eating disorders and has struggled with cutting. … Demi is taking control by getting help.”

The ‘catalyst’ for her rehab trip was one of the other females going on tour with them. The person who was thought to be with them was Joe’s ex girlfriend, Ashley Greene since she was photographed with the Jonas Brothers this week. Demi told Celebuzz that she was able to stay friendly with him on tour because, “you have to, ‘cause you work with him… When you’re hurt, it’s easy to move on, so it was very easy for me to move on.” Demi’s family says it wasn’t Greene though and that Demi had a run-in with a dancer on the tour.

The reason Demi has these problems is because she was a victim of bullying herself. She left school because of how harsh the bullying often got to be. She told Cambio that she “actually ended up leaving school because of [bullying].”

‘”I just called my mom and I was crying and I said ‘I don’t want to go to school any more, It was a rough time, I was by myself.”‘ This is what Demi said to a close friend, who ended up confirming to TMZ that bullying was the main cause of her reason for going to rehab.

The one thing many of her fans can be glad about is that she isn’t going to rehab for drug like many of the other celebs.

Demi Lovato apparently long-suffering eating disorders many of which failed to recover. In addition to other serious disorders of self-mutilation.

Sources close to Demi Lovato said their problems were more to the point necessary to enter a clinic.

About self-mutilation

Self-harm or self-mutilation is to be physical harm as a means of relieving psychological suffering. Sometimes the psychological pain is so difficult to handle, which opts for damage to the body in an attempt to control the situation. The sensations are at times self-harm depends on the individual and the situation being alive. Sometimes it can provide calm, in others a “wake up” to feel “real” a person who thinks dissociated no longer feel anything in life.

The methods of self-harm vary widely from person to person, cuts, burns, beatings, hair pulling, breaking some member, etc.. Also vary the depth and intensity of the lesion. Some are made very deep cuts, others opt for a lot of scratches on the skin, however, the size of the wound is not related to the psychological pain of the person, ie someone just scratched, does not mean that suffer less than that which is cut deeply. The intensity of the lesion may be increasing according to the time when the individual is self-harm, some people may start with scratches, superficial cuts go to deeper cuts, and so on. It is a compulsive and addictive as drugs, leading to a gradual increase in use.

When you mentally abuse somebody, this person feels week and powerless. You threaten a person by facts that you put in a wrong context.

A mental abuser will not say he is wrong, but his or her victim is. This is not blackmailing people with knowing facts against them. No, this is making facts against somebody.

So blackmail can be a mental terror, but in that case both victim and criminal are not straight and are both worthy of each other.

In an abusive situation one person is stronger than the other. Maybe because of more social back-up, since mental abusers tend to be good braggers and highly socially aware. They are great liars and manipulators.

Usually, they do work in networks. It is the bully that rallies the troops against one victim and you simply cannot say no, for otherwise you might become a victim yourself. Or this person is so great in telling lies, or believes its own against the victim. This person becomes isolated.

Isolating the victim and criminalizing it, so it feels guilty and thinks it has brought it all on itself, is the key to any abusive situation. When others join under the reign of the manipulator, this victim will be snared away everywhere and will get no recognition as a victim. Often even aid workers tend to pick up the signs wrong.

Yes, victims that are mind manipulated will act different from a normal person. Usually they get shy and avoid social contacts, or in some cases, they might start to act aggressive against others, as a response to being held down.

If mental terror, which is scapegoating somebody and giving him/her the blame for all that goes wrong, might not have the right effect, if a person does not respond to it, or not anymore, by growing more self esteem, mental abuse might lead to physical abuse.

When physical violence occurs it is usually because the mental terror had already gone too far or the victim has to be completely brought down. Some bullies are cowards and will stop there, some just cross the line and feel untouchable and above the law, believing that their victim will not take action.

During mental terror the victim can usually do nothing, except for trying to avoid the abuser, but this is not always possible, since most abuse happens in places where you cannot avoid it, like within a family or class.

Some people do mentally abuse their children, believing to be great educators. Look at parents, who sent their kids to therapy, claiming they are anti-social, but never really listen to them when they talk about their problems of being bullied at school. To them their kids are just hard to handle. Often victims are seen as abusers themselves and also become.

Some mental abusers take it a step further, as told and use also physical violence against their completely discourages victims.

Many victims get mental problems, like post traumatic stress disorder, or eating disorders when they are kept in stressy situations for a long time. Many are marked for life and might not be able to get a normal social life.

Some might act weird, become aggressive themselves and this causes that many snap and end up as criminals themselves.

Keep in mind this can happen to all of us.

So mental abuse should be taken seriously, because it might evolve further and society should be more informed and smooth talkers should not always be taken for granted.

The media, and all of its forms, constantly tries to appeal to men and women of various ages, backgrounds, and mentalities. The media will attempt to grab the attention of these audiences for the purpose of influence, product sales, and assistance. Although diverse approaches and schemes are required to communicate perfection to an assorted audience, perfection alone is an aspect that can appeal to all. For women the main approach is clearly body image. In a 1997 study performed by K. Harrison and J. Cantor among undergraduates, it was found that media consumption was positively associated with strive for thinness among men and body dissatisfaction among women. It seems that in this new age of technology and widespread exposure to the media, consequently what the media says, goes. For women, this can include advertisements portraying other women and their perfect lifestyles, which in turn forces women to compare what they see to what they actually have. Also, beauty products are used to comply with a certain level of attractiveness. The difference for men is that many of the attractions take on a masculine approach in order to appeal to male characteristic. For example, the products or advertisements will make men feel powerful or encourage them for the purpose of a positive response from women. The media can communicate ideas to males concerning hygiene, fitness, and personality, along with a need to become successful.

The media definitely has a habit of using the idea of perfection to communicate with society. Specifically this influence must be altered to a certain extent regarding men and women. For women, the approach is emotional and self-conscious. For men, the approach is masculine and engaging. For each, the main focus is to convey the social expectations regarding perfection brought forth by society. Sadly, results of this fascination with perfection range from young adults constantly dieting or resorting to non-mandatory plastic surgery, depression, and a large amount of body dissatisfaction from many people. One explanation for this event is that “individuals internalize attitudes that are approved of by significant or respected others ([29] Kandel, 1980).” With this information, one possible remedy that can bring positivity to this issue is changing the current roles of significant or glamorized figures. If these role models portrayed individuality, positivity and less focus on body image, it is possible that the pressure on society will decrease and change the negative effects of this phenomenon.

Reference:

Harrison, K. and Cantor, J. (1997). The relationship between media consumption and eating disorders. Journal of Communication, 47, 40-67. http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_mediaeffect.shtml   Retrieved February 20, 2009

Kandel, D. B. (1980), “Drug and drinking behavior among youth,” Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 6, pp. 235-285

Signorielli, N. (1997, April). Reflections of girls in the media: A two-part study on gender and media. Kaiser Family foundation and Children NOW. http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_mediaeffect.shtml   Retrieved February 20, 2009

Who can blame them? Who can blame those people for showing off the result of such tremendous discipline and sacrifice? Why discipline yourself in the basic means of survival (that is eating) when you can’t show off the emaciated result? Yeah…but the ones who can (and should) adhere to this recommended body image are the ones hoping or are currently making their living out of their looks. That’s like a mere 0.01% of the global population. The ones who are living an ideal life: the students, working girls, working moms, even the stay at home moms that constitute the “ideal” no. of the female population cannot, in reality, adhere to this upheld body image.

So what gives?

Why is there a never ending quest for something that cannot be anymore? Diet formulas keep sprouting up like mushrooms. Trainers came into existence out of the blue. The world’s most beautiful women are one time or another been rumored to have had an eating disorder. The ones on the cover of every magazine are the ones having a BMI of a 14 year old girl.

As I struggled for almost an entire day to give this article any credibility on the authenticity of a reason on why it should be written, I  finally figured out the answer. And it is something I hold dear. It applies not just to body image but as to everything else: If it bothers you then you have something to do with it.

Do you? Do you have something to do with it? How many dieting pills had you bought in your lifetime? How many diets did you try? How many clothes did you buy the minute you lost a mere unrecognizable 3 lbs.? How many announcements did you make when you figured out you went down a one dress size? We all have a thing to do with this disillusionment that sometimes causes the headaches of our very own doing.

I do.  I have something to do with it.

We complain and complain and complain of the very vehicle that holds this very own special self. Our very own special self cultivated by time, seasoned with love and made more special by the fact that we had learned a lot and can give a lot.  Mere body image is something we can and we should just shrug off.

True, taking care of one’s self is reflected on the size of our body frame. But we can only do so far…

People do get treated better if they have certain good looks, I have personally seen this in my life. Back in 8th grade, when I was in Algebra I, I had a cruel teacher that would never help anyone during a test, except that one girl.  She was a good looking girl who was also a cheerleader, and whenever she didn’t understand anything she would walk up to the teacher’s desk, and the teacher would practically tell her the answer. Other students tried but failed to get the teacher to do the same for them, but it was just that one girl who was able to get that advantage. It made all of us mad, but there was nothing we could do about it. We just ended up getting the bad grade while the cheerleader made all A’s.  That was the first time that I noticed that beauty could give a person advantages over another. I agree that people who have good looks do get treated better in our society. (Ackerman) People who do not have this image sometimes put themselves through a lot to achieve it.

Hurting oneself in order to achieve beauty is very dangerous and can cause many health problems. Whether they are anorexic or bulimic or take hormonal steroids, they expose themselves to have their harmful side effects. Dickinson states that from 1990 to 2000 that over a million teenage boys were found to have harmful eating disorders. (Dickinson) That is serious. Girls too have problems with eating disorders and keeping their desired body image, due to the pressure of society.  It’s not only teen agers who feel as though their image in society is key.  Adults are often found with not only eating disorders, but plastic surgery as well.  Going under the knife, as it is often expressed, can cause many problems as the patient gets older. 

Today’s media is what has set the standards for beauty.  People see how society says they should look through television, magazines, and the internet.  These factors add intense pressure to a person, which could make them go through drastic measures, such as not eating or taking steroids, to accomplish beauty for themselves.  Hall tells a story of a boy who was pressured to look not thin, but “strong and virile”. (Hall)  He was pressured through his peers at school, whom all had the right “body image”. (Hall) He ultimately accomplished his goal because of other people’s opinions, and not for himself. (Hall) Sometimes it might not be through the media, but from pressure of friends or family.  It is important that a person is content with their image, because being content could raise their self confidence and allow them to achieve great things.

People sometimes go through a lot to achieve their self image. Society has put pressure on individuals, saying that in order to succeed in life, you must have beauty. It’s a fact people take drastic measures to look good, but I ask myself, is it all that important?  Beauty is a rewarding trait to have, especially in today’s society, but it should not get to the point to where one is physically or mentally putting themselves in harms way in order to achieve credibility in society.

Works Cited

Ackerman, Diane. Subjects/Strategies: A Writer’s Reader. Ed. Paul Eschholz and Alfred Rosa. Boston: Bedford St Martin’s, 2002. 496-500.

Dickinson, Amy. “Measuring Up.” Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews – TIME.com. 20 Nov. 2000. 11 Jan. 2009 .

Hall, Stephen S. “THE TROUBLED LIFE OF BOYS; The Bully in the Mirror – New York Times.” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 22 Aug. 1999. 14 Jan. 2009 .