The Source of Self-Image Problems
Flip through any magazine and you will see advertisement after advertisement focused on a beautiful female model. Turn on the TV and you will see the same thing. This isn't new, and to some degree people tolerate this. However, these advertisements and TV shows are under fire for being a significant factor in causing insecurities in teenage girls about their bodies. Health officials, among others, feel that the images these girls see are telling them how girls should look, and if they don't fit the image then they're ugly. These insecurities can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. That is major reason why the advertising community has received negative press lately. There is a flaw, however, in this exposure of the negative side of advertising. The main focus is on how teenage girls are affected. Rarely do we here about how teenage boys are being affected. We hear about how males make up for about 10% of eating disorder cases, and that's it. Just because there are fewer boys with eating disorders does not mean that the media isn't affecting their self-image in the same way the media is affecting the self-image of teenage girls. Therefore, there should be just
Look at gyms across the country, and you will see that a significant portion of the people working out are teenage boys. On the surface, this looks completely harmless, and for the most part it is. But there are several reasons why teenage boys, and teenage girls, spend hours on end each week in the gym. A common reason for teenagers to work out is to train for sports. Working out for sports is a sign of commitment, and there is nothing negative with that. Another reason is simply the enjoyment of exercise, and the feeling of satisfaction that one gets when finishing up a workout. Again, this is completely harmless because some people enjoy exercising. They use it as a release to their day, or just a tool to help with the everyday stresses of life. Then there are people who are trying to get in shape because of health reasons. We keep hearing doctors say exercise is vital to a healthy body. Some will argue that even though teenage boys have problems with their appearance, the problem isn't as severe as it is with girls. Girls, and some boys, actually can have a clinically diagnosed eating disorder. A disorder that can lead to death. Because people are dying from anorexia and bulimia it should get more attention. This is true; people c
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Self-image Flip, Mark McGuire, teenage boys, teenage girls, eating disorders, eating disorder, boys trying, male models teenage, anorexia nervosa, anorexia bulimia, mark mcguire, they're doing, completely harmless,
Approximate Word count = 849
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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