The Thin Ideal

The Thin Ideal is the concept of the ideally slim female body. In Western societies, the thin ideal, characterized by “flawless skin, a thin waist, long legs, and well-developed breasts” is a standard that many women cannot attain by healthy means. Compared to the actual population of adult women, thin female models are drastically overrepresented in magazines and television, so that only a small minority of women have the body size shown in virtually all advertising.The thin-ideal woman often portrayed in the media is typically 15% below the average weight of women, representing an unrealistic standard of thinness. This thin-ideal modelling culture creates a gap between the actual appearance of an average woman’s body and its expected appearance.

So, what are the body measurement within thin-ideal models? Let’s show you some data. Comparing to the average body measurement in US which is 41-34-43, typical models are around 10 inches smaller in size in each measurement. This shows that the requirement of entering the modeling industry is extremely tight and is promoting the thin ideal concept: if you are not thin enough, it’s impossible for you to become a model.

According to Baker & Grauerholz, the Barbie and Disney Princess that we grow up with promote an unrealistic feminine thin-beauty ideal. Young girls within an age of 5 to 8 years old experience a body dissatisfaction after exposure to the perfect body shaped Barbie, which stimulates a desire to be thinner. At the same time, within magazines and television, thin female models are much more represented than average or plus size models.

A study of women’s magazine found that between 1959 to 1999, cover models became increasingly thin. 94% of the covers of women’s magazines showed a thin female model or celebrity in excellent shape. As time went on, magazine covers and American society in general placed more emphasis on a thin-ideal body shape for women.