”Media images that depict ultra-thin, digitally altered women models are linked to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating in girls and women, and there is also recent evidence of the detrimental effects of unrealistically sized dolls and toys which present role models to children… as well as the impact of muscular media models on boys and men.”   - excerpted from, The Impact of Media Images on Body Image and Behaviours: A Summary of the Scientific Evidence

While research has repeatedly shown the negative impact of media images on the perception of our own bodies, to date, little has been done to counteract these falsified images. In a move that is the first of its kind, the United Kingdom’s Liberal Democrat party is attempting to regulate these harmful marketing tactics with newly proposed public policies.  Recently, they requested a compilation of scientific research to indicate whether or not people were really negatively impacted by looking at airbrushed-to-perfection pictures in the media. In response to the request, scholars and researchers from around the world came together and created a consensus on how idealized images in the media impact the way individuals feel about their bodies and how those feelings translate into behaviors.

The international group of scientists and researchers provided an overwhelming amount of data supporting the relationship between exposure to idealized images and increased body image dissatisfaction. Their final report, The Impact of Media Images on Body Image and Behaviours: A Summary of the Scientific Evidence, discusses the effects of media images and outlines five proposed policies that could help to empower and protect individuals from the cultural obsession with thinness and perfection.  The research clearly shows that looking at images which have been unrealistically and excessively airbrushed can lead to poor personal body image and low self-esteem, both of which can lead to many physical and mental health problems.  Most notably, these problems include disordered eating and eating disorders, anxiety and depression, and even sexual dissatisfaction.  Using data from over 100 studies, researchers linked idealized media images to the increasing numbers of people with negative or distorted body image. In their paper, they concluded that, while these images do not have a universal impact, they do have a negative effect on the majority of those who see them.

The effects of media exposure begin very early in life and have been documented in girls as young as five and a half years old.  Furthermore, the images were found to have the greatest impact on some of the most vulnerable populations, including 1) adolescents, 2) those who are of a different body weight or shape than the ones being depicted, and 3) those who have internalized the cultural body ideals presented for men and women. The research goes on to suggest that the images have an “immediate and cumulative impact”, meaning that a negative self-evaluation occurs immediately following the viewing of such images, and with continued and repeated exposure, self-evaluation continues to decline and/or be distorted.  The paper points out that, although most people are aware that images they see have been retouched, many do NOT know just how extensive the airbrushing and “revisions” actually are.   

The collection of this information led the research team to the question, what will be effective in changing these negative outcomes? While media literacy education has been shown to have a beneficial impact, the real long-term solution is the changing of the images themselves. The researchers recommend that, instead of using distorted, caricatured versions of people, that real people and real images be used. In addition, they developed these five policies to target the areas in most desperate need of change.  

• Policy 1. No digitally altered models in advertising aimed at under 16s
• Policy 2. Clear labeling of digitally altered models in all other advertising.
• Policy 3. Models used in Fashion Weeks to have a health certificate from an eating disorder specialist, in order to protect their health and well-being.
• Policy 4. Encouragement for use of diverse and healthy body sizes in all media models.
• Policy 5. Media literary programmes about ‘perfected’ models as part of school curricula to encourage critical awareness and resilience in children and adolescents.

The hope is, that by including pictures of real people and identifying when digital retouching is used, everyone can become more informed, and therefore, more realistic in their assessment of  media images. While there is much debate about whether or not these policies will actually have an impact on body image and eating behavior, it is important to note that the relationship between policy and individual change is cyclical.  As more individuals become aware of a problem, there is a greater push for policy change, and as more policies are implemented, they impact even more people, leading to greater awareness and more effective, long-term change.  If approved in the United Kingdom, these changes could positively impact an entire generation of girls, boys, men and women and, perhaps, the United States will consider following suit.  

On the home front, Darryl Roberts, Director of the documentary “America The Beautiful”, is spearheading a drive to challenge advertisers and media in a different way.  He is currently leading a campaign to boycott Ralph Lauren until the company apologizes for it’s photoshopped ads and makes a personal commitment, (without being mandated by law), to stop using such drastic levels of photo manipulation to sell products.  If you support this idea, you can join the campaign by becoming a fan of the  ATB Action Network on Facebook.   

photo courtesy of  www.photos.igougo.com