In the early 90s, a professional tennis player by the name of Andre Agassi starred in an ad campaign for a Canon camera. The campaign involved the athlete being surrounded in glitz and glamor, before delivering the slogan “Image is Everything.” In the context of a decades-old camera commercial, it’s catchy and seems pretty much harmless. It also was certainly not the first time such a phrase was ever used. However, when someone lives in a world where your image is everything, what exactly do they think of their own image?
Body Image: The Bigger Picture
That ad campaign was one of many examples of a societal fixation on the idea of “image.” Namely, the “right” image to have. So much of our media portrays a strict and extremely high standard for desirability. From commercials for clothes and makeup, to blockbuster movies and television, many of them feature men with chiseled muscles and broad shoulders and women with thin torsos and big breasts, portraying them as what one should aspire to look like. By design, these are often meant to draw an association between this high standard and the products involved, that somehow the viewer will be able to achieve this status through the products. But often this constructed idea of beauty ends up having more detrimental effects on people than anticipated.
Hurting for “Beauty”
There’s nothing inherently wrong with trying to stay in shape, but like many things, it is often taken too far. Those who find their body inadequate to the standards set by the media's rhetoric on what is or isn’t a desirable image, can sometimes take their desires to reach that perfect body to dangerous levels. Often, this has to do with weight loss. People may go to extremes to get slimmer through methods such as over-exercising or misusing pharmaceuticals. Frequently, this strong desire for weight loss can lead to eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia, where one may deny themselves food or even throw up what they’ve already eaten. In doing this, it can cause harm to one’s body, in a desperate effort to be more “desirable.”
10,200 deaths per year occur due to eating disorders, according to a study by the Strategic Training Initiative for Prevention of Eating disorders or STRIPED..[i] It has been said that these disorders have among the highest mortality rates for mental illnesses. Worst of all, it’s the youngest that are the most vulnerable as young people are the most impressionable to these strict ideas of beauty that are so heavily promoted. A study found that 1 in 10 teenagers are taking diet pills and other weight loss drugs, despite the risks involved[ii].
Positivity is Everything
The dangers of having a bad body image of oneself are very real. But there are ways to improve this. There are many brands today which promote body acceptance, more realistic and diverse standards of beauty, and challenge old societal norms, not just those that have been pushed on us for years. Many companies are increasingly embracing inclusivity by featuring diverse body types in their advertising campaigns and offering a wider range of sizes in their clothing lines. Supporting more inclusive and acceptive brands and limiting your media consumption to more realistic images can help to shift your own perspective of yourself. Remember that those societal standards are often completely unattainable and try to shift your focus towards activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. So, even if you aren’t movie star skinny or bodybuilder buff, your image is your own, and that individuality is something to be celebrated.
If you are suffering from eating disorders or body image or know someone who is, there are multiple resources available through organizations such as the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), Project HEAL, and Body Positive.
[i]https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders/
[ii]https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/10/health/teen-diet-pills-weight-loss-supplements/index.html
