In American society sizist discrimination runs rampant. We are bombarded with media images of “perfect” people. Women being portrayed as attractive and desirable are nearly uniformly tiny-waisted with substantial breasts and blemish-free faces. Men, meanwhile, are generally encouraged to be tall, broad-shouldered, and fairly small-waisted. These images do not represent reality nor are many even healthy. In a similar vein as diet commercials are those ads for low-fat, low-calorie, or high-fiber foods, which when incorporated into a diet of moderation and other healthy food choices and exercise may help a person to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Almost invariably these ads are using women who are already slender by anyone’s account and implying they are watching their weight or trying to lose a few extra pounds. The climax of the commercial shows them proud to get back into a bikini, zip up their “skinny jeans”, or run their hands over a skin-tight dress. According to the National Institute for Health, adult’s Body Mass Index is in a healthy range if it falls between 18.5 and 25.9. For a 5’2’’ person, this correlates to 100-135 pounds. If it were against regulation to have an actress/actor in this type of commercial whose BMI was already under 26, viewers would gradually develop a realistic idea of what a healthy physique looks like.
I agree with your argument that the media should start using more realistic sized people. Not only do I think that the media is making women and men hate good figured or petite actors, it's affecting how they feel about other ordinary people around them. I have heard many conversations where a thicker person will yell at a smaller/healthier person for not eating pizza or subs. They will call them "skinny bitches" or "muscles" just because that person chose to eat healthier. People who do fad diets or diet pills don't realize how much work it really is to maintain a good healthy body. My only disagreement in your post, is that the commercials can accept people that have over 26 BMI because the Body Mass Index does not accurately measure muscle mass, so the percentages may be off. Other wise I like your argument and agree that they should put real healthy people in the health advertisements.
ReplyDelete