Anastasia Hale

Dr. Bedell

04/07/17

Photoshopping in the Media: The Impact on American Body Image

This paper describes eating disorders and negative self esteem that are exacerbated by an

overwhelming and inaccurate depiction of a "standard societal beauty" in the digital and print

media. Physical and psychological ramifications to the individual are presented as are overall

societal implications. Solutions are presented in the form of education and regulatory reforms

that will address the moral obligations of parents, educators and the health care profession and

ethical standards for the digital and print media industry. Such reforms will alleviate and prevent

an unfair and unfortunate circumstance to the human condition in our society. Suggested reforms

are also sensible and pragmatic in that they will improve our productivity as a society, lower the

burden on health care costs, and may even benefit corporations who appeal to a more diverse

customer base.

Over the past fifty years, the United States has been facing a serious body image

problem. More than 90 percent of girls ages 15 to 17 desire to change at least one aspect of their

physical appearance with body weight ranking the highest.1 Eighty percent of children the age of

10 are afraid of being fat.2 Thirteen percent of girls ages 15 to 17 admit to having an eating

disorder.3 Seventy percent of girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in

some way in regards to their looks, academic performance, and relationships.4 Eighty percent of

10-year-old girls have dieted.5 Ninety percent of high school junior and senior women diet on a
normal basis. Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer,

or losing their parents.6

Part of this abundance of negative feelings about one's body can be attributed to the

mainstream media and the attention focused on portraying individuals with unrealistic body

types and an increase in the use of photoshop. For example, students, especially women, who

consume more mainstream media, place a greater importance on sexiness and overall appearance

than those who do not consume as much.7 Additionally, studies have shown that with an increase

in television consumption comes an increase in the value in appearance among young women.8

New research has shown that American women have the worst body images compared to

the rest of the world. In a test where they had to rank themselves from 1 to 10 in overall

attractiveness, American women averaged 6.09, while women in other countries averaged 7.44.

Overall, that is an 18% difference in the numerical perception of ones body being seen as

worthy.9 With a decrease in body image has come an increase in eating disorders. Since 1950,

the rate of individuals with eating disorders has been increasing.10 In each decade, there has been
an increase in anorexia in young women ages 15-19 since 1930.11 Additionally, the number of

10-39 year old women with bulimia tripled between 1988 and 1993.12 Currently, at least 30

million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, and one of those people dies

every 62 minutes as a result.13 Finally, the death rate for women with eating disorders is 12 times

higher than other women of similar ages, and about 1,000 women die each year due to

malnutrition, heart attack and suicide, direct results of having an eating disorder.14 Ultimately,

excessive use of photoshop in the media has led to a nationwide negative body image and an

increase in the rate of individuals with eating disorders in the United States.

The problem begins when the actual individual compares him or herself to unrealistic

images in the media. Even though most people are aware that these images are not always

untouched, the images themselves create negative feelings in the viewers. For example, 81

percent of girls would rather see original photos of models than photoshopped versions, yet 47

percent of girls say they strive to obtain the body image portrayed in magazines.15 In addition, 63

percent of girls believe the fashion industry portrays an unrealistic body image and 47 percent

think it is unhealthy. However, 60 percent of these girls still compare their bodies to fashion

models, 48 percent desire to be as skinny as models in fashion magazines, and 31 percent of girls

have starved themselves or refused to eat in order to lose weight.16 These desires have some

serious ramifications. Thirteen percent of women smoke as a weight loss strategy, and teenage

girls with low self esteem are two times as likely to report alcohol abuse than those who are

confident with their bodies.17 These effects of negative body image expand outside the normal

range of eating disorder symptoms, showing that even girls who are not clinically diagnosed with

an eating disorder can still bring harm to their bodies. While images in fashion magazines spur
negative thoughts about ones body, television can have a similar effect. A few years after

American television was introduced to Viti Levu, a province of Fiji, rates of eating disorders

began to rise even though before they were virtually nonexistent. In a 1998 survey, Fijian girls

who watched television three or more nights a week were 50 percent more likely to describe

themselves as fat and 30 percent more likely to diet than girls who watched television less

frequently.18 Because American television tends to portray only those with a societally

desirable body type, many young men and women believe that they must look that way.

Individuals are unaware that these actors and actresses spend much more time and money than

feasible of an average individual exercising, dieting, and maintaining their bodies. Even if people

know that they cannot live the lives of celebrities, they still try to emulate their image as much as

possible.

This spurs the next layer of the problem, a societally ingrained belief that beauty matters,

and that only those with a particular body type are beautiful and worthy of affection. In America,

there is a specific image that the culture defines as perfect or attractive. Most media outlets

portray these bodies and encourage others to obtain them as well. For example, often times

headlines read blast fat fast or tips to get the beach body you always wanted. These

statements subconsciously pressure women, encouraging them to take a step back and analyze

their bodies, target their flaws, and purchase the magazines in hopes to look like the man or

women on the cover. Because of this, it becomes the accepted norm to shame oneself,

individuals never satisfied because the person who has the body that they want doesnt even have

that body. After constantly harboring these feelings, individuals train themselves to bash their

bodies, always finding an imperfection. Neuroscience has shown that an individual's main
focuses shape their brain. If one constantly thinks negative thoughts about their body, that neural

pathway becomes stronger and those thoughts become habitual.19 Additionally, it has become the

norm to bond over body shaming, girls and boys talking with friends about the parts of

themselves that they hate. These talks can carry over into shaming others, ones own insecurities

a driving force in negative outbursts directed at friends and strangers. Moreover, when children

hear their mothers or fathers or other role models talk negatively about themselves, they are more

likely to feel this way as well. For example, in a study, teens whose parents talked to them about

food with a focus on their weight or size were more likely to engage in body hate, extreme

dieting, and eating disorders.20 In relation to role models affecting body image, a culture

increasingly revolving around celebrity worship is partly to blame for body dysmorphia and

unsatisfied feelings. Famous people tend to make body types into trends, spending one month

promoting waist trainers and the next obsessing over thigh gaps. The constant fluctuation in what

society perceives as beautiful purposely harbors negative feelings within individuals, never

allowing them to be satisfied with their bodies.

Combined, warped images in the media and a societal pressure to be beautiful can lead to

problems in individuals such as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) or eating disorders that

ultimately go unrecognized. In a study, it was found that individuals with body image problems

that led to their hospitalization were not being psychiatrically treated for these reasons but rather

for mood disorders, anxiety, and PTSD. Only 1 out of 14 participants with probable BDD were

diagnosed in the medical records.21 Additionally, many individuals who entered the hospital for

suicidal thoughts did so because of their appearance.22 Instead of getting the treatment they need,

these individuals and many others face improper medical care, mostly due to the large stigma
surrounding eating disorders themselves. This is a substantial problem in males with eating

disorders or BDD, who are currently underdiagnosed and misunderstood by practitioners who

encounter them.23 These males also face significant depression and shame because of a

preconceived notion that men should not have feelings, especially about their bodies.24

Eating disorders have some serious physical consequences. For example, those with

anorexia nervosa experience symptoms such as an abnormally slow heart rate, low blood

pressure, osteoporosis, muscle loss, dehydration, and fatigue. Bulimia can lead to electrolyte

imbalances, gastric rupture, tooth decay, chronic irregular bowel movements, and peptic ulcers.

Binge eating may cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, or gallbladder

disease.25 These eating disorders can also lead to death, crude mortality rates 4.0% for anorexia

nervosa, 3.9% for bulimia nervosa, and 5.2% for eating disorders not otherwise specified.26

Additionally, anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.27

Body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders have serious mental ramifications as well.

For example, adolescents with BDD exhibit a higher rate of depression, anxiety, and suicidality

symptoms as well as higher levels of dissociation, sexual preoccupation, and post-traumatic

stress disorder as compared to those with psychiatric concerns that do not involve body image.28

Moreover, nearly half of anorexia, bulimia, and BDD patients have a comorbid mood disorder.29

Even in the absence of an eating disorder, body image concerns can be overwhelming and

distracting, decreasing the quality of life of those affected.30 These issues are relevant to a vast

proportion of the population, 91 percent of women unhappy with their bodies despite the fact that

only 5 percent of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the
media.31 Also, 45 percent of men are unhappy with their bodies, a 15% increase in the past 25

years.32

Ultimately, for this problem to be fixed, the American Medical Association must first

better educate medical professionals and the general public about early identification of eating

disorders. A story from a young girl with anorexia explains why. As a 12-year-old with

full-blown anorexia, I was involuntarily institutionalized after having an eating disorderinduced

seizure. The institution was not equipped to deal with eating disorders, and their only plan of

action was to watch me eat, shower, and sleep to ensure I didnt throw up, exercise, or throw my

food away. I was treated less as a medical patient and more like a criminal, unable to privately

mourn the loss of my innocence and adolescence. This was my first insight into how our

healthcare system is unprepared to treat eating disorder survivors, a travesty compounded by

societys rigid physical ideals for women. Survivors could best be served by the development of

new treatment options targeted at modifying harmful behaviors and by eroding patriarchal

visions of the female body. Instead, we are treated like social outliers who are shamed and told

we have taken things too far.33 To begin remedying this problem, an eating disorder screening

should be performed at regular checkups in addition to the mental health disorder screenings that

have already been implemented. Doctors will be able to better detect eating disorders this way

and treat the patient properly. Also, the treatment options themselves should be changed. Instead

of simply monitoring individuals and making sure they put food in their body, a holistic

approach should be taken with an emphasis on mindfulness, teaching people how to love and

appreciate their bodies. Additional research should also be conducted, determining the most
successful way to eradicate eating disorders within individuals and the negative mental and

physical side effects that accompany them.

The next step in targeting negative body image and eating disorders is through laws

requiring photoshop warning labels as well as more stringent health checks for models. Similar

to cigarette ads, photoshop in fashion magazines and advertising portray an ideal that is

unrealistic and unhealthy.34 Expanding on the Truth in Advertising Act, which requires

advertisements to be truthful and backed by scientific evidence, the Federal Trade Commission

should require labels to be placed on photoshopped images or even ban photoshopped images all

together.35 Allowing companies to warp images in order to sell a product is a clear misconduct of

the Truth in Advertising Act, even if the product itself is not misconstrued. These warning labels

or lack of photoshop all together may even increase revenue for corporations that use models to

sell their products. Companies such as Aerie that have decided to produce only unretouched

images have seen prominent results in sales, increasing 32 percent for the first fiscal quarter of

2016.36 In addition, in order to promote positive body image, the models themselves must be

healthy and represent a variety of body shapes and types. Currently, the average BMI of runway

models is 16, which is classified as severely thin by the World Health Organization.37 In

December 2015, France passed a reform bill placing BMI restrictions on models as well as

requiring a doctor's note stating that the model is in good health. Similar laws have also been in

effect in Israel, Italy, and Spain.38 There has been much backlash against this ruling with many

people saying that the art of photography includes photoshop and that the government should not

have the right to dictate the weight of an individual.39 Despite these sentiments, promoting the

health of individuals is more important than aesthetics or corporate sales. The United States,
through the Federal Trade Commission must pass laws similar to those in France, requiring a

BMI for models of at least 18, which is just below the underweight BMI of 18.5.40 Models

should also meet with a doctor once a year and provide documentation that they are healthy and

able to work. These checks are not only vital for the body image and American perception of

beauty as a whole but also the health of models and stringency of the beauty industry. With 31.2

percent of models having eating disorders and 68.3 percent suffering from anxiety and

depression, the image posed by fashion magazines and corporations is one of pain, not allure.41

42

Finally, the federal government should implement body positive programs for young

students and provide parents with more information on body image and eating disorders.

Programs could be integrated with health classes in schools and teach children to support what

their body can do, let go of what they cant change, highlight internal qualities, limit negative

media images, promote diversity, and eliminate negative self talk. Parents could also be

involved, learning about the warning signs of BDD or eating disorders, prevention tools, and

treatment options. These programs could be tested as part of a longitudinal study determining
what parts of the curriculum help students the most in straying from negative thoughts about

their bodies.

If action is not taken, people all over the nation will continue to look in the mirror and

hate what they see, never satisfied, and constantly wanting to change themselves. Children and

teens will feel pressured to look a certain way, some resorting to self harm because they will

never appear the same as the woman or man on the magazine cover. Body dysmorphic disorders

and eating disorders will continue to increase, individuals still not getting the help that they need,

physical consequences and death as a result.

Thus, excessive use of photoshop in the media has led to a nationwide negative body

image and an increase in the rate of individuals with eating disorders in the United States. Media

is linked to an increased value of importance of external beauty, resulting in negative body image

among approximately 90 percent of American women. When considering the actions that must

be taken to remedy this problem, one must keep in mind the value of positive self esteem and the

detrimental effects of a standard societal beauty. Parents, educators, healthcare professionals

have a moral obligation to provide the proper perspective and awareness about body image,

eating disorders and self esteem. The psychological and physical ramifications of negative body

image promoted by excessive depiction of unrealistic body types are too unfortunate and unfair

to the human condition for action not to be taken. Properly addressing eating disorders and

negative body image through education and regulation makes good sense. Our society will be

more healthy and productive, lowering healthcare costs and in some instances, even improving

business for companies who appeal to a more diverse cross section of people. Ultimately, better

education about eating disorders and positive body image must be promoted along with
regulations on photoshop and warning labels in advertisements. Americans as consumers and

people deserve to know the truth and be able to feel comfortable in their own bodies.
Endnotes
1. "Statistics on Body Image, Self Esteem & Parental Influence Heart of Leadership." Heart
of Leadership. Accessed April 02, 2017.
http://www.heartofleadership.org/statistics-on-body-image-self-esteem-parental-influence
/.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid
4. Ibid
5. Ibid
6. Ibid
7. "11 Facts About Body Image." DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change.
Accessed April 02, 2017.
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-body-image
8. Ibid
9. Warner, Claire. "American Women's Body Image Is Worse than Everyone Else's, So
What Are We Doing Wrong?" Bustle. February 09, 2015. Accessed April 02, 2017.
https://www.bustle.com/articles/52048-american-womens-body-image-is-worse-than-eve
ryone-elses-so-what-are-we-doing-wrong.
10. What are eating disorders? PDF. National Eating Disorders Association, 2012.
11. Ibid
12. Ibid
13. "Eating Disorder Statistics." National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated
Disorders. Accessed April 04, 2017.
14. Henry, Becky, Thom Rutledge, and Elizabeth Winter, Dr. "Statistics | Eating Disorders |
Body Image Therapy Center | Maryland." The Body Image Center. August 19, 2015.
Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://thebodyimagecenter.com/education-awareness/eating-disorder-statistics/.
15. "NYC Girl's Project - The Issues." NYC Girl's Project - The Issues. Accessed April 04,
2017. http://www.nyc.gov/html/girls/html/issues/issues.shtml.
16. Ibid
17. Ibid
18. Goode, Erica. "Study Finds TV Alters Fiji Girls' View of Body." The New York Times.
May 19, 1999. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/20/world/study-finds-tv-alters-fiji-girls-view-of-body.h
tml.
19. Goode, Erica. "Study Finds TV Alters Fiji Girls' View of Body." The New York Times.
May 19, 1999. Accessed April 04, 2017.
 http://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/20/world/study-finds-tv-alters-fiji-girls-view-of-body.h
tml.
20. Gold, Sunny Sea. "Let's Talk About Our Moms and Our Body Issues." Greatist. June 06,
2016. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://greatist.com/live/body-image-issues-related-to-mothers.
21. Lifespan. "Negative Body Image Related To Depression, Anxiety And Suicidality."
ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060606224541.htm (accessed
April 4, 2017).
22. Ibid
23. Strother, Eric, Raymond Lemberg, Stevie Chariese Stanford, and Dayton Turberville.
"Eating Disorders in Men: Underdiagnosed, Undertreated, and Misunderstood." Eating
Disorders 20, no. 5 (2012): 346-55.
24. Ibid
25. "Get The Facts On Eating Disorders." National Eating Disorders Association. Accessed
April 04, 2017. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-facts-eating-disorders.
26. "Mortality and Eating Disorders." National Eating Disorders Association. Accessed
April 04, 2017. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/mortality-and-eating-disorders.
27. Self. "Here's Why It Matters That Eating Disorders Have Finally Been Recognized In
Federal Legislation." SELF. December 13, 2016. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://www.self.com/story/congress-just-passed-the-first-ever-eating-disorder-legislation.
28. Lifespan. "Negative Body Image Related To Depression, Anxiety And Suicidality."
29. "Eating Disorder Statistics National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated
Disorders." National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.
Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/.
30. Lifespan. "Negative Body Image Related To Depression, Anxiety And Suicidality."
31. "11 Facts About Body Image." DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change.
32. What About the Boys?" NotEnoughGood.com. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://notenoughgood.com/2012/07/what-about-the-boys/.
33. Rothstein, Caroline. "17 Stories Of Eating-Disorder Survival." BuzzFeed. Accessed
April 04, 2017.
34. Rhodan, Maya. "Lobbyists Push Congress to Curb Misleading Photoshopped Ads."
Time. April 03, 2014. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://time.com/48853/lobbyists-push-congress-to-curb-misleading-photoshopped-ads.
35. "Truth In Advertising." Truth In Advertising | Federal Trade Commission. Accessed
April 04, 2017. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/media-resources/truth-advertising.
36. Torgerson, Rachel. "Here's What Happened to Aerie Sales After It Ditched Photoshop."
Us Weekly. May 20, 2016. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-style/news/how-american-eagle-aeries-no-photosh
 op-campaign-affected-sales-w207279.
37. Firger, Jessica. "For runway models, high fashion means a dangerously low-16 on
average-BMI." Newsweek. May 20, 2016. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://www.newsweek.com/2016/02/19/high-fashion-low-bmi-424763.html.
38. Ibid
39. Garced, Kristi, Laure Guilbault, and Paulina Szmydke. "Fashion Execs React to Tough
French Law on Thin Models." WWD. December 23, 2015. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/fashion-reaction-french-law-skinny-model
s-10302035/.
40. Body mass index - BMI." WHO/Europe. April 04, 2017. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/nutrition/a-healthy-lifestyle/
body-mass-index-bmi.
41. "Industry Analysis." The Model Alliance. Accessed April 04, 2017.
http://modelalliance.org/industry-analysis.
42. "Women Are Dying To Be Thin." Digital image. Accessed April 4, 2017.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&ua
ct=8&ved=0ahUKEwj8t4XnmIzTAhUm8IMKHRJCCSEQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F
%2Frebloggy.com%2Fpost%2Fsuicide-fashion-health-thin-eating-disorder-women-mode
l-body-television-heart-we%2F65936290353&psig=AFQjCNGMZ7JI8HPVuJ5S2yjSd6
XIDWYpqA&ust=1491443137963010.