Doctors and health officials hosted an online discussion on Tuesday concerning the role of the media as a catalyst for negative body image.
The hosts, Dr. Kate Ackerman of Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., and Student Health Services Wellness Coordinator Michelle George, alongside two Student Health Ambassadors from Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and 20 BU students, discussed negative body image, which they defined as negative feelings about one’s body and physical appearance that can develop as early grade school.
“Negative comments and feeling about a child’s body can have a lasting effect, manifesting in adolescence and creating an enduring negative body image,” said one student in the chat. “Negative body images are associated with many mental health concerns including low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders.”
According to the research group Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc., one out of every four women in college uses unsafe methods, including excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting and fasting, to achieve their weight loss goals.
Ackerman said the media is the leading cause of negative body image issues.
“Our generation has had to grow up with the idea of a beautiful body as it is presented in the media,” said Kirsten Smayda , a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Fine Arts.
Ackerman presented images of celebrities before and after plastic surgeries or airbrushed touch-ups, showing a lack of natural beauty in today’s popular culture.
“People begin to think that that is the norm and, if they don’t look like that, they feel inferior,” Ackerman said.
Images of beautiful people are used to sell anything from food to cars to clothes, he said. Beauty not only sells, but also has become an industry of its own.
According to the Media Awareness Network, the image of a perfect woman assures the growth of the cosmetic and diet industries.
“It’s completely unrealistic,” said Khrystyne Baltodano , a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, referring to the women in advertisements. “It’s like they are trying to create this unobtainable goal.”
The most important thing to remember is that good looks come naturally with good health, Ackerman said. Simple things like exercising regularly and eating a healthy, balanced diet is all one needs to attain good health.
Ackerman recommended that students try to make changes slowly, losing no more than half a pound a week if weight loss is the goal.
“Since I have been in college, a lot of girls talk about being a certain weight,” said SAR senior Mary Tian. “It’s really important to remember that when you are working out, you are loosing fat and gaining muscle, so you may not be loosing weight.”
George and Ackerman both emphasized surrounding yourself with a positive support and seeking out help if a problem arises.
“Embrace what you have and do the best you can to keep yourself healthy rather than try to reach something that is impossible,” Ackerman said.
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