are we really aware?

While it's true that some celebrities like Tyra Banks, Oprah and others are taking actions about the problem of body image, the damage has been done. It will take time before people get use to the fact that our old concept of ideal body image is somewhat unconventional and unrealistic. Let's take for example the commercial for the cereal cheerios(the man asking his wife if she is trying to lose weight). You can tell that the woman was pissed off because the husband assumed that because she was eating that specific cereal, she was trying to watch her weight. This alone shows how stereotypical we are when we see people try to stay healthy.

Glamourized body image

Many TV shows and magazine articles talk about celebrities who are fat or thin without thinking about the implications these may bring to a young person's way of thinking regarding normal and healthy body. We often wonder why eating disorders are becoming rampant but we forget that most of the time we see these celebrities on TV looking physically perfect as if they were born with it. As people become obssessed with how they should look, they try to use drastic measures. In some instances, people who do not have the inner strength to undergo physical changes tend to project their frustrations to the people around them. I saw a show on TV (Dr. Phil) that talked about this kind of problem. In the show, the girl narrates that her father seem to be repulsed by her because she is a little bit overweight. After watching the show, I pondered about the reasons why some people react this way. Yes, the father gave his reasons why he was acting like a jerk toward his daughter but come to think of it, his attitude might be a result of the glamourized body images he sees and reads about.

wrong messages about ideal body image

We often see ads, books and television shows that depict a so-called "ideal" body image. There are ads about diets, slimming drugs, exercise machines and cosmetic surgery that in most times do not work at all but instead add to a person's frustration in getting their desired weight, shape and form.