Eating disorders, body image and the media
2000
This report considers the role that the media can play in shaping young people’s attitudes to eating and body shape, and developing self-esteem in the young who are at the greatest risk of developing an eating disorder. The report considers whether the media play a significant role in the causation of eating disorders, where they can ‘trigger’ the illness in vulnerable individuals, by suggesting that being ‘thin’ means being successful, and how they affect young people who may have low self-esteem or unhealthy attitudes towards food. More positively, the media may be able to significantly contribute towards developing high self-esteem in young people, and actively participate in health promotion to combat the mistaken belief that “thin = healthy” and that ‘dieting’, rather than healthy eating and regular exercise, is the way to achieve a healthy weight.
Introduction
At the British Medical Association’s 1998 Annual Representative Meeting the following resolution was passed and referred to the Board of Science and Education: “That this meeting fears that some forms of advertising may be contributing to an increase in the incidence and prevalence of anorexia nervosa. It calls for greater responsibility in the use of such images in the media”.
The resolution was considered by the Board of Science and Education in April 1999 and members decided to review the wider influence of the media on self-esteem and body image perceptions in contemporary Western industrialised culture, especially in relation to the onset of eating disorders in vulnerable individuals, both male and female.
This report considers the role that the media can play in shaping young people’s attitudes to eating and body shape, and developing self-esteem in the young who are at the greatest risk of developing an eating disorder. The report considers whether the media play a significant role in the causation of eating disorders, where they can ‘trigger’ the illness in vulnerable individuals, by suggesting that being ‘thin’ means being successful, and how they affect young people who may have low self-esteem or unhealthy attitudes towards food. More positively, the media may be able to significantly contribute towards developing high self-esteem in young people, and actively participate in health promotion to combat the mistaken belief that “thin = healthy” and that ‘dieting’, rather than healthy eating and regular exercise, is the way to achieve a healthy weight.
Eating disorders, body image and the media is available from the Board of Science - info.science@bma.org.uk