This paper will show the current health risks related to the media image of the young women in America. The health risk is both physical and mental. In an article entitled "The Portrayal of Men and Women in TV Ads" Danielle Limpinnian states:

" From the images inflicted upon us in the patriarchal mass medial that surrounds us, it is assumed that we have been encouraged to mold ourselves into a set ideal. For wome

One TV program that represents and attempts to break the mold is The Practice. Here at the least successful women with power, played by Camryn Manheim, is not the typical model image. In fact Ms. Manheim is a large women. In real life Ms. Manheim continues to support the "size movement" and has written a best selling book, "Wake Up, I'm Fat." The producers of The Practice should be applauded for their insight and courage to cast someone for their talents rather than for their measurements, or lack of them. Unfortunately The Practice is only one TV program among thousands. TV programs that do have average looking or larger women in prominent roles usually have these women in older roles. The Golden Girls is an example of four women of average image, but each of these women plays a character with obvious flaws. The ladies play four older women, Dorothy, (Beatrice Arthur) a divorced, retired school teacher, Blanch, (Rue McClanahan) a man chaser from the South, Rose, (Betty Whit) a ditsy farm girl from St. Olaf, Minnesota, and Sophie, (Estelle Getty) Dorothy's quick lipped mother. Sometimes the mature image of the woman is the mother-in -law, ie, Everybody Loves Raymond. Doris Roberts plays Marie Romano, the snooping busy body of a mother-in-law. These female images are not the ones that the young female aspires to emulate. These characters are used for situation comedies, and not intended to be an image shape

Age is not a factor in lessening the problems. Young women with career expectations and college degrees are also affected. These job minded women are reminded time and again through the images of magazines and TV that successful women with high paying jobs and a secure financial future are thin. TV shows, such as Ally McBeal, CSI, and Law and Order, show successful women with meaningful jobs as women with the media preferred physical qualities that society has come to expect. Even hows that represent the future, such as Star Trek, are filled with only slim women wearing form fitting Spandex. The only fat person is usually a male and he is the bad guy. This reinforces the stereotype that it is bad to be fat.

The media was also changing at this time. Prior to the 1960's most advertising was done through magazines and newspapers. Artist's depictions were used to show the human form. The real message was given through print. With the advent of TV in the 1690's, and the explosion of information in the 1990's, the message of the advertisers is mainly through the image. The current generation of you people is the first generation to receive m

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Approximate Word count = 1742
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)