Body Image

Why do people obsess about body image? Why is it so important? And who is it that influences the way we think about body image?

These are just some of the questions I have been asked by Manchester radio show “Century FM” on a piece they were recording on ‘body image’, played yesterday.

We are in the west becoming more obsessed by body image, and there appear to be two opposing sides emerging. On the one hand you have programmes like ‘Coleen’s real women' or ‘how to look good naked’ which try to promote positive ‘real’ body images; on the other hand you have various women’s magazines and newspapers promoting glossy pictures celebrities’ cellulite, or showing before and after pictures of how celebrities have put on weight. These kinds of articles are often splashed across the front cover with banner headlines like “spot the celebrity cellulite”.

I am always reluctant to agree with those who blame the media whether TV, films, games or newspapers for areas like violent crime; however I do believe that the subliminal messages from reading articles and seeing pictures of celebrities being berated for their how their bodys are, is having an impact upon how some people perceive themselves.

Additionally there have been numerous TV programmes on plastic surgery and with the prices becoming more and more affordable once again the subliminal affects of this are that more people are beginning to feel that they should not be happy with their body image.

I don’t believe that it is the media per se that leads people to think badly about their body image, but we are affected by how things are reported and presented to us.

I ask the question, how important is it really that we read about and see a picture of “Britney Spears cellulite?!