Many young women and men develop unhealthy lifestyles, which can be largely prevented by the Fashion and Beauty Industry.  A national survey was taken in Australia, this survey showed that females and males ages fifteen to twenty-four years are more concerned with body image than drugs, family conflict, and bullying”  (Diedrichs and Lee, “Waif goodbye!” 1273).  Sadly, there are only 2% of women who find themselves appealing (Graham 5:18-5:26).  The Fashion Industry including plus-size models to help with body image may not be the best solution to decreasing eating disorders; a better solution could be including models who are healthy and active.

 

The promotion of intuitive eating along with a healthy and active lifestyle could improve body image and eating disorders.  The health of an individual’s body becomes a problem when eating disorders are developed from either underweight or overweight women.  The Fashion Industry is known for causing many of these disorders because they use extremely thin models on the runway and in advertisements.  Even though the Fashion Industry is blamed today for causing these issues, there has been research that shows otherwise.  Thomas Hobbes wrote about anorexia in the 1680s, which means anorexia was not developed recently.  There are many times throughout history that shows eating disorders have not just recently became popular.  For example, Dutch historians have found that early Christians practiced severe starvation.  Also, a study from 1987 found that in the United States anorexia peaked in the 19th century.  Journalist have found that before media became so popular in American lives, anorexia increased several decades before (Opposing Viewpoints 30).  Plus, body image is not the only cause of eating disorders; scientist have found many psychological issues to be the cause of anorexia (Opposing Viewpoints 32).  Three authors who studied psychology at Flinders University in Australia wrote an academic journal about health related outcomes of positive body image in girls.  They wrote the understandable statement, “Body appreciation directly predicts intuitive eating because people with higher body appreciation should have a heightened awareness of bodily needs and act with respect toward their body” (Andrew 464).  If the media promoted ‘intuitive eating’, women would start to appreciate their bodies more and eat to keep their body healthy.  If the media does impact the struggle Americans have with weight there are several benefits, since Americans have a huge problem with obesity today. (Opposing Viewpoints 33-34).  It is important for people to have some form of inspiration to look at for body image, if not Americans would continue to be obese without seeing a healthier lifestyle.

 

There has been many steps taken to improve the body image that fashion models have impacted, it has become popular in the media and advertisers to use plus-size models. Using two extremes of body image is not the best solution to help improve negative body image.  Plus-size models have become a new movement in the Fashion Industry, which has an impact on how women think of themselves.  A benefit of plus-size models, is women of all shapes and sizes now look at themselves as beautiful.  A TED Talk speaker, Ashley Graham, explains how this has improved the way she looks at her own body.  Ashley Graham is a body activist and a model who moved to New York City at the age of 17 to pursue a modeling career.  In the year of 2015, Ashley Graham was on the cover of five popular magazines.  In this TED Talk Ashley Graham shares her story of being a plus-size model, “I felt free once I realized, I was never going to fit the narrow mold that society wanted me to fit in.  I was never going to be perfect enough for an industry that defines perfection from the outside in” (Graham 1:02-1:19).  Ashley Graham blames the Fashion Industry for why she does not feel beautiful in her own skin.  The Fashion Industry does not use tall and thin models to discourage other body types; they chose models who will look the best in the clothes that they design, since they are trying to sell their clothing.  

 

While an increase of plus-sized women in the media has caused more of a positive body image, plus-size women can have a negative impact on women of all ages.  Ashley Graham tells the audience, curvy models are not speaking up about the ‘isolating nature’ of being known as ‘plus-size models’ (Graham 7:17-7:29).  She also tells the audience that it is okay to be overweight and they should even love their body for being overweight, “That’s okay; roles, curves, cellulite, all of it. I love every part of me” (Graham 1:20-1:26).  There are many health risks for models who are giving similar encouragement to the media.  Several doctors are starting to become concerned with the popularity of plus-modeling.  Doctor Brad Frankum, a New South Wales top doctor, is afraid that the more plus-size modeling become popular the more obesity will be seen as ‘glorifying’.  Also, Frankum points out the link between plus-size models and cigarettes because they both promote unhealthy products (Hennessy and Crane par. 2-10).  The Fashion Industry is banning thin models who starve themselves and replacing them with models who are overweight; going from one extreme to the next does not help the issues.  Dr. Frankum includes his opinion, “We don’t want anyone to feel ashamed or embarrassed by they way they look and everybody needs to wear clothes ... but there is a difference between being confident in who you are and promoting a healthy weight message,” (Hennessy and Crane par. 8).  In 2015, a study that was conducted in Canada at the Simon Fraser University found that plus-size models in the media and advertisements lead to ‘detrimental’ effects of the lifestyle and eating choices of the public (Hennessy and Crane par. 22).  Doctor Frankum believes a better image for the media would be to not include underweight or overweight women, rather models who are a healthy size. It would be best to not ‘celebrate the extremes’ (Hennessy and Crane par. 11).

 

Men, similar to women, are also known to be impacted by the muscular and tall body image that the Fashion Industry projects, but there has not been many studies regarding how men feel about body image.  An academic article written by two authors, Phillippa C. Diedrichs and Christina Lee, have also written several academic articles based on body image.  They both studied at the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland in Australia and wrote an article looking at men and body image, “The ideal body for men has also been transformed, and is now characterised by a mesomorphic body type, with large defined muscles, low body fat and a v-shaped upper body s evidence of this”.  Also, these two authors found that from 1973 to 1997 an increase of more muscular and lean men over time were seen in Playboy ( (Diedrichs and Lee, “GI Joe or Average Joe?” par. 2).  Some studies have found that there has been no impact on the satisfaction of men’s weight, desire for more muscularity, or self-consciousness of their body.  An analysis of twenty-five different studies have found that when men see muscular models there is a link between less body satisfaction and body self-esteem ( (Diedrichs and Lee, “GI Joe or Average Joe?” par. 6).  There has also been a positive impact on men and body image.  It was found that when men are exposed to magazines with average size women they feel more anxious about their own body; which encourages them to improve their appearance by exercising more (Diedrichs and Lee, “Waif goodbye!” 1275).  Men are seen to work out and pay attention more to their health when they are exposed to muscular men; which could be the same result for women if there were more fit and healthy women in the Fashion Industry.

 

Plus-size models are not the solution that will be the most effective at improving negative body image, a better solution would be to incorporate eating intuitively and promoting healthy lifestyles.  The Fashion Industry may not have been the cause of eating disorders, but to incorporate plus-size models in advertisements might cause a negative impact.  There should be more research made towards improving thin-models and plus-sized models, which will lead people to living a healthier lifestyle.

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