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How to Stop the Media Attack on Your Body
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the
ongoing message that the natural, curvy, womanly body I was
born into is unacceptable. I'm tired of being horrified when
I hear that five-year old girls already criticize their bodies
and think they need to lose weight. I'm tired of the media
forcing their limited, unattainable version of beauty on us.
The underweight beauty ideal of today is a complete
invention of the media machine. Nature never intended women
to look like teenage boys with large breasts, but the relentless
media depiction of this body type powerfully defines it as
the ultimate in beauty.
Without starvation and plastic surgery, it's
impossible for 99% of women to achieve this ideal. So we learn
to dislike our naturally gorgeous bodies and try desperately
to change them. The toxic body messages we are deluged with
every day cause eating disorders and widespread unhappiness.
53% of 13 year-old girls and 80% of adult women
spend every day disliking their bodies. It doesn't have to
be this way. People naturally have all sorts of different
body shapes and sizes. We don't have to let the media continue
to define just one type of beauty as the ideal. We don't have
to let them continue to ruin countless lives in their quest
for more profits.
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
Media Watchdog program is working to change the toxic media
message. You can help by joining the free program and monitoring
magazines, television, and radio. Keep track of what you see
then send your positive and negative findings to NEDA.
Every quarter they write at least one letter
of praise or protest to companies on behalf of the Watchdogs
and post the results on the NEDA Media Watchdog website. Since
the inception of the program in 1997, over half the ads they
protested have been discontinued.
It's time for the media's attack on our bodies
to stop. The Watchdog program gives us a powerful voice for
change.
What to look for:
Protest:
- Ads with a message or image intended to make people feel
bad about their body shape or size.
- Promoting thinness as the only acceptable body size.
- Shows or ads that make fun of heavy people or imply that
they are inferior or unacceptable.
- Idealizing people who are dieting or starving themselves.
- People shown using food for comfort, stress relief, or
companionship.
- Emaciated models or actresses portrayed as the beauty
ideal or star of the program.
- Promoting fitness and exercise solely as ways to get
thin rather than ways to get healthy, feel good, and have
fun.
Praise:
- Ads that have people of all sizes and shapes depicted
in positive ways.
- People eating healthy, good foods including desserts.
- Celebration of natural diversity and the enjoyment of
life.
If you want to take the campaign even further,
write your own praise or protest letter to the advertiser
or the media outlet.
Ruffle a few feathers and let them know that
attacks on our bodies will not be tolerated and that positive
diversity is appreciated. Tell them you won't be buying their
products due to the offensive advertising.
Be sure to thank companies for positive messages,
too. Every little move in the direction of healthy body diversity
is great. Thank them for being part of a culture that appreciates
health and all kinds of beauty.
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About the Author:
Nancy Hill
Click
here to join the Watchdog program and be part of bringing
about positive change in the world.
©2005 Nancy Hill has helped thousands get free
of the dieting nightmare with her ebook, "Undieting - 11 Simple
Steps to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life." Sign up now for
the free 7-day email course at Undieting
Free Course and discover how to get your life back.
Article Source, click
here.
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