body images in the media

8/12/2019 Body Images in the Media

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Body Image & MediaBy Kathleen Diedrich


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Shocking Statistics

In a study on fifth graders, 10 year old girls and boys toldresearchers they were dissatisfied with their own bodies afterwatching a music video by Britney Spears or a clip from the TVshow "Friends".

One study reports that at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are"unhappy with their bodies." This grows to 78% by the time girlsreach seventeen.

In a survey of girls 9 and 10 years old, 40% have tried to loseweight, according to an ongoing study funded by the National

Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Source:http://depts.washington.edu/thmedia/view.cgi?section=bodyimage&page=fastfacts,National Institute on Media and the Family
http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_mediaeffect.shtmlhttp://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_mediaeffect.shtmlhttp://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_mediaeffect.shtml


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Shocking Statistics

One-half of 4th grade girls are on a diet. (1)

One in every three (37%) articles in leading teen girl magazinesalso included a focus on appearance, and most of theadvertisements (50%) used an appeal to beauty to sell their

products. (2)

1-Gustafson-Larson, A.M., & Terry, R.D. Weight-related behaviors and concerns of fourth-grade children.Journal ofAmerican Dietetic Association, 818-822, (1992).

2-National Institute on Media and the Family


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What is Media?

Television

Magazines

Movies

Newspaper

Internet

Advertisements

Music

Other mass communications

One in every three (37%) articles in leading teen girl magazines also includeda focus on appearance, and most of the advertisements (50%) used an appeal

to beauty to sell their products. (2)

Day 1


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TV & School

On average, children watch three to four hours of programming a day

(28 hours a week).

Students spend about 900 hours in the classroom and 1,500 hours in front

of the TV each year.

Children see at least one hour of commercials for every five hours of

programs on commercial TV.

http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/factsheet2.html

Day 1


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Commercials

By age 21, the average child will have watched 1,000,000 commercials.

The majority of children under age six do not understand that the purpose

of a commercial is to sell a product.

Children who watch four or more hours of TV a day are more likely to

believe claims made by advertisers.

Saturday morning commercial TV advertisers bombard children with ads

for sugary cereal, salty snacks, fast food and junk food.

Before teens reach the legal drinking age they have watched 100,000

alcohol commercials.


Day 1


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Internet

Internet advertisers want children and teens to develop brand loyalty as

early as possible.


Models are air-brushed and touched up, unrealistic body images, ads that

encourage inappropriate behavior, plus the unbelievable promises lose fat in

14 days, six-pack abs in two months, acne banished in 30 days.

Advertisements in teen magazines are designed to sell teens a product by any

means possible.

Magazines

Day 1


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What is out there?

Notice the different advertisements that

you are surrounded by every day. Look at

the body images they encourage.

Find two advertisements that you can

actually bring in to discuss in class.

Also, find two advertisements that you

saw and can discuss.

Day 2


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Examples From the Media

Day 2


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Examples From the MediaExamples From the Media

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How do these images make you feel? Do you feel comfortable with your body as it is?

Do you feel confident in your body?

Do you feel intimidated? Or bad about your body?

Do you feel like you would look like this too if you boughtthis product?

How else do you feel?

Share with a partner how each of these imagesmakes you feel.

Day 2


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What is Body Image?

According to kidshealth.org, "Body image is how you view

your physical self including whether you feel you are

attractive and whether others like your looks."

There can be a strong correlation between body image and

self-esteem.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/body_image/body_image.html

Day 2


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Do you like what you see when you look in the

mirror?

www.true-beauty-tips.com

Day 2

One study reports that at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are "unhappy withtheir bodies." This grows to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen.
http://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.html


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Activity

By yourself or with a partner trace one of your body

parts (each person should have their own traced body

part).

Fill the space inside of the body part with positiveadjectives, characteristics, or pictures that describe your

body part. These should only be positive.

In groups of 4-5 share your completed body parts.

Day 2


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Fighting the Media's Idea of

Perfection

Day 3


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Media Working to Change Body

ImageDove:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iENFuUAwVc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV_Yhto-7fc

Day 3


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Create Spaces in Your

Classroom That Foster Overall

Wellness

Day 3


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What Can We Do?

Limit the amount of television we watch

Choose television shows and movies that show real

people with real, unedited bodies

Participate in some physical activity for fun, not always

to lose weight Change focus from losing weight to improving health

Eat all foods in moderation

Use the images in the media as a vehicle for discussion

Understand that our bodies change and grow

http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/factsheet2.htmhttp://children.webmd.com/building-healthy-body-image-for-childrenl

Day 4


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Activity

Goal Setting

As a class brainstorm ideas for healthy

goals

On your own, choose a goal you think you

can accomplish and make it unique to fit

your needs and desires

Start working on your goal!

Day 4


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How do we find the information

we need?

We found many different types of

advertisements that encourage outrageous

body images. Can we find any that actually

promote good health and provide validinformation for wellness and healthy habits?

Bring in five different advertisements promoting

different types of products that relate to health.

We will analyze them as a class tomorrow.


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Are they real?

Choose one piece of media that showcases body image

(positive or negative)o Analyze this piece and the pros and cons of it

o Explain (in writing or presentation to peers or

teacher) what message this piece is delivering and

how it positively or negatively affects its audienceo Then, create your own advertisement that portrays

what you believe to showcase positive outlooks on

body image

examples: poster, commercial, webpage, etc.o Create a small write up about how this ad promotes

positive (and healthy) outlook on body image and

how your ad can help promote healthy living


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Do you like what you see when you look in the

mirror?

www.true-beauty-tips.com

Day 5
http://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.htmlhttp://www.true-beauty-tips.com/positive-body-image.html


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Unit Plan OutlineGrade: 5th-8thStandards:

Standard 2: students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology and other factors on health

behaviors

standard 5: students will demonstrate the ability to use decision making skills to enhance healthstandard 8: students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health

Day 1: Introduce the idea of what media is

Bring in and show different forms of media as exampleso Don't talk about body image just yet

o Have students bring in examples of media from their daily lives

o What are some pros and cons about media and how we view it (or how much we are exposed to it)

Day 2: Body image and the media

Have students analyze sample media items. Look at how many of them have to do with body imageo Discuss how it makes students feel? What do they think of these images? These people? What do they think these

advertisements are trying to sell, why did they choose these people?

o Activity creating a positive representation of a body part Have students try to find advertisements that are not showing the idealized body type and have them bring them in the next

day


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Unit Plan Outline Continued....

Day 3: How can we change these images? How can we defy them?

Share students' media findings with the entire classo In students' pods/partners discuss the pros and cons of the advertisement

o In pods/partners discuss what these pros and cons can do to the audience that views them

o As a whole class, discuss how these media findings promote either healthy or unhealthy lifestyles and body image

o Have students in their pods/partners create a flyer that promotes healthy lifestyle and promotes a positive body image

Day 4: How can we be more comfortable in our bodies?

Create an anchor chart as a whole class about ideas and ways we can create positive outlooks for the way we view ourselves

o As a whole class create two anchor charts with the words "Healthy Image" at the center.

o Have students break off into pods/partners to come up with general ideas for the way the media could change theway people view themselves.

o Have students share out their ideas and write them on one anchor chart.

o Have students break off into pods/partners to come up with ideas that an individual could change the way theyview themselves.

o Have students share out their ideas and put them in the second anchor chart.


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Unit Plan Outline Continued...

Day 5: Activity on body image

Students will choose one piece of media that showcases body image (that can be positive messages about body image ornegative)

o Students will analyze their piece they brought in and analyze the pros and cons of it

o They will then explain (either in writing or presenting to peers or the teacher) what message their mediaitem is delivering and how that either positively or negatively affects its audience

o They will then create their own advertisement that portrays what they believe to showcase positive outlook

on body image (they can create any type of advertisement they would like (poster, commercial,"webpage", etc.

o They will create a small write up about how their advertisement promotes a positive (and healthy) outlookon body image and how their advertisement can help promote healthy living

body images in the media

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