Qualitative Analysis of Interdependant Studies

The media have greatly influenced the concept of beauty and highly advocated outer beauty over the past decades, and these influences have been imposing a great threat to the present generation. The advertising industry either creates an ideal state of extreme thinness and appealing appearances or raises dissatisfaction with the actual state in order to promote the latest trend of beauty. Over-emphasis on appearance and the idea of extreme thinness have been prevalent in recent years and that is why these concepts have gradually immersed into our mindsets, and thus resulted in subsequent social phenomenon and individual behaviors. The media have distorted the initial concept of beauty and brought about side effects in both mental and physical perspectives. Among the affected, young women are especially vulnerable to these concepts and prone to the adverse consequences caused.

Mentally, over-emphasis on appearances and weights gradually lowers women’s self-esteem. With the concept of extreme thinness, the standard of beauty becomes highly unachievable, widening the difference between the ideal and actual states. Since the level of media exposure usually determines the level of body dissatisfaction and causes negative feelings. (Stice, Schupak-Neuberg, Shaw, and Stein, 1994) Over the past decades, most average-weighted women in the United States tend to think they are “too fat”.  (Sims, 1986) It indicates that when compared to the unreasonably high standards of beauty and weight, females are more likely to fail to meet it and feel more inferior as a result. Therefore, appearances are highly related to self-esteem, which means that such high standard of beauty of beauty would then be lowering women’s self-esteem generally.

Affected by the concept of extreme thinness, females tend to use radical methods in order to lose weight, resulting in subsequent health consequences. There is an astonishing findings that nearly half of the victims of eating disorder undergo extreme dieting, take pills and consume various supplements to achieve weight-loss. (Klein, 2013) Compared to the ultra-thin models shown on media, females tend to perceive themselves fatter that they actually are, and that is why they undergo extreme weight-losing methods. It is obvious that all the mentioned methods will give rise to an array of health risks. In the long run, extreme dieting not only leads to the lack of nutrients, but it also affects fertility, bones, organs and blood. (Extreme dieting, 2008) Inappropriate methods of losing weight may ultimately bring about a number of irreversible health problems.

However, the media insist that emphasis on appearances and thinness aims at driving a better presentation of products. It is true that making use of good-looking models can better present the products, consumers tend to build up favorable feelings towards the products. Sales volume can be further boosted in the short run. Meanwhile, without strict regulations, the media have been overly relying on beautifying applications and building up unrealistic and unachievable images on advertisements. According to a university survey conducted, over half of the respondents are discontented with their appearances. (Khamis, 2014) Generally, models are shown flawlessly on advertisements, which instill the public the sense of pursuing idealism. When compared to the ridiculously high standards of beauty on the media, there is no doubt that females can hardly meet it.  

The media have highly advocated the emphasis on physical appearances and body shapes, resulting in significant adverse impacts both psychologically and physically. Adopting ultra-slim models and showing them in a flawless way may better present a product, but it may at the same time bring subsequent side effects to the general public. Ultra-thin models are widely adopted on advertisements and the concept of beauty has been re-established into a much thinner and flawless image. Pursuing the unreasonably high standards of beauty, females even adopt radical methods in order to pursue extreme thinness but still find it unattainable. Without proper government regulations, such phenomenon will be intensified and lead to more severe consequences in the foreseeable future. That is why we need the government to take bolder steps to regulate the media and advertising industry.