1. Body Image and
Media Literacy

2. Following this topic you
should be able to…
• Define and describe body image, from
a bodywhys perspective
• Develop an understanding of what
media literacy is and how to best
achieve it
• Adopt a healthier and more informed
attitude toward one’s own self-image,
enabling you to be more equipped
mentally to help a caller in need

3. Body Image
•How we perceive ourselves or our
idealized selves
•50% of women in the western
world admit to harbouring
insecurities about their appearance
and body dissatisfaction (Bearman,
Presnell and Martinex, 2006)
•Body dissatisfaction is one of the
prominent risk factors associated
with the development of eating
disorders (Shaw et al., 2004)

4. Positive Body Image Tips
• Cherish your body and use it as a tool
to enrich the fullness of life
• Being healthy means living healthy –
looking after yourself and eating well
will make you feel good on the
outside
• Use daily affirmations – concentrate
on a part of yourself you like and
communicate to yourself that you are
grateful for what you have
• Do not try to look like anyone else –
you are unique, so aim to embrace
and accept your own individual
beauty

5. The Media and Body Image
• The media, through bolstering images of
unrealistically “thin” women, plays a role in the
manufacturing of unhealthy body images (APA,
2007)
• A study carried out amongst a group of Fijian
adolescents whom had never before been exposed
to television evidenced this effect. Following a
substantial time period of television consumption,
Becker et al. (2002) found that participants began to
display significantly more disordered eating
attitudes and bulimic behaviours.

6. Media Literacy
• In light of this, a number of media
literacy campaigns have been
developed
• Media literacy involves:
• being sceptical in how one
perceives images and information
in the media
• Realising that what is projected
from the media should not be
taken at face value.
• Understanding that with the
availability of modern day
technologies such as photo-shop,
the media can virtually manipulate
any image that they wish in order
to sell their product (Stormer &
Thompson, 1995,1998).

7. Beauty…a media-defined
concept throughout the ages
Prehistoric Beauty:
Wide hips were the
quintessential beauty
must have, as seen here
sported by the fertility
Goddess

8. Botticelli’s Birth of Venus
(1400s)
Beauty is
depicted here by
soft features and
womanly curves

9. Ruben’s The
Mona Three
Lisa – a Graces –
timeless curvier
beauty shaped
(1500s) women are
embraced as
beautiful
(1600s)
The 1800s – Women began to
“suffer for beauty”, wearing
1700s –Pale
uncomfortable corsets to
skin signifies
achieve the idealised 18-inch
wealth and
waist
status

10. 1900s 1920s
The Flat-chested
hourglass body
body shape shapes,
which suited
the flapper
style dress
were
extremely

11. 1950s 1960s
The first
sex symbol Heroin chic
emerged in was born in
the form of the sixties.
the iconic Fashionistas
Marilyn such as
Monroe, Twiggy and
who Edie
embodied Segdewick
a fuller popularised
figure this deathly
pale look

12. 1970s 1980s
Exercising became
extremely popular in the
70s and 80s. The typical
model in this era was long
and lean.

13. 1990s
Kate Moss pioneered
the waif-thin look which
was heavily sought
after in the 1990s

14. The Extremities of Today
Before After
Model Valeria
Lukyanova, 23, has
gained fame
through the extreme
lengths she has
gone to in order to
achieve a Barbie
like appearance

15. Excessive and
unnecessary
plastic surgery
Unnaturally thin

16. The Impact of Technology on
Body Image
• If technical difficulties are experienced, the link to this video is
provided below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XF66Ku4a9U

17. Airbrushing
Since the
advent of
digital
technology,
media
professionals •Airbrushing:
have been •Endorses
distorting and celebrities
manipulating and sell
photos to fit in products
with societal •Leads to
beauty ideals body
dissatisfactio
n, unrealistic
expectations,
and
disordered
eating within
consumers

18. Instructions:
Quiz
Which of the
following
celebrities has
the perfect
female body,
according to
the media?
Please click on Click
your selection Here
When
Finished
Quiz

19. Georgia Salpa
Click here
to try again
Incorrect: Plastic Fantastic
Top British plastic surgeon
Alex Karidis has suggested
that Salpa appears to have
had up to €20,000 worth of
cosmetic surgery.
(Sunday World, 2012)

20. Kim Kardashian
Click here
to try again
Incorrect: Orange Peel
Kim Kardashian is
known for having a
problem with cellulite
on her legs and thighs

21. Kate Upton
Click here
to try again
Incorrect: The
fashion industry
have
notoriously
labelled this
beauty as “too
fat”

22. Andrej Pejić
Click here
to try again
Andrej is in fact a
man

23. In other words..
• Everybody has flaws
• There is no such thing as “the perfect
body”
• Image is as powerful as it is superficial
• Beauty is as subjective as it is diverse
If you are
experiencing
problems with this
video please see
the link below:
http://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=YJP
UoxFkFsY

24. To summarise…
• The media can serve to injure peoples’ body image
through yielding unrealistically thin beauty ideals
• Hours of make-up, hair and photo-shopping can
allow celebrities to appear as though they are
“perfect”
• Beauty is a socio-culturally defined concept that is
fickle and ever-changing