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Sizism, Body Image and The MediaHear me, Understand me, Support me: What young women want you to know about depressionIn this section: On this page:
Body image and preoccupation with weight and physical appearance play a huge role in depression in young women. Everywhere we turn we are bombarded with the media's portrayals of how women should look. However, instead of projecting realistic images of different shapes, sizes, ethnicities, etc., it's always the same picture that we receive: tall, skinny, sexy and white can basically sum it up. There is a perception of perfect that women are supposed to achieve. There are a lot of pressures that are put on women to . . . look a certain way, to carry themselves and to achieve certain status. If it is pointed out that they . . . are not in a state of perfection, it is very easy for a young woman to fall into depression. Being a victim of verbal and psychological abuse and being negatively affected by sizism (being treated differently or discriminated against because of size) due to being overweight are both influential factors that have had an impact on depression for me. Say if the people we saw on TV, you know, they're so skinny . . . imagine if the meaning of that was different. If [instead it was that] any size was cool . . . Then our lives would be totally different! Young women are bombarded with unrealistic images of women on TV, in magazines - in fact, in all forms of media. These women are thin, generally white and always the same: they don't represent what women look like. Unfortunately, this ideal has been imposed on society so forcefully that it has received acceptance and thereby created a completely unattainable ideal. It's even gotten to the point where the models themselves are not good enough, so their photographs need to be altered with the computer and airbrushing before they ever reach the public. While we as young women are aware of these facts, it still doesn't change our desire to be like those pictures that we always see and that society has accepted. Even with this knowledge, we internalize these beauty standards and weigh our self-worth accordingly. Boys too look at girls' bodies more today. They aren't looking at personality or anything. All boys do is look at our bodies. Even, like, if you read Seventeen magazine: "How do you know if he likes you?" And all that other stuff: "Can you make him like you?" Like, they should actually put stuff in there about, "Do you really like yourself?" Or, "10 ways to actually be happy." A lot of magazines . . . exploit women . . . men, as a whole, still objectify women. We're still thought of as sex objects . . . if they'd just stop exploiting us. Maybe if shows began to cast people who don't have perfect bodies, a show with different kinds of people, different colours, different sizes and shapes, you could see that anyone can be friends. Because in shows they put people of colour together, or they put only thin people together as friends, and it sends the message that "Oh, if you're thin, you should only be friends with thin people." Today, images of the "perfect" female ideal are delivered through more media venues than ever. Young women internalize those reminders about how high the "beauty" bar has been set. They tell a young woman what success looks like, what she ought to do to be popular, to be seen as "having it together," to feel (and be) "good enough," or to be part of the "right" crowd. But very few achieve the ideal which, in our diverse world, represents almost exclusively one predictable demographic. By implication, those who are not white, tall, clear complexioned, stereotypically pretty, heterosexual, slim, stylish, able-bodied and English-speaking are more or less invisible and, therefore, unimportant. (Interestingly, some young women suggested that the black community may have a more forgiving attitude toward body size.) In response to the ideal, young women look in the mirror and instantly find ways they don't measure up. Feeling bad about their bodies leads them to feel bad about themselves. As a result, their self-esteem may plummet, and their risk for depression rises. Though young women may know they don't want to live up to someone else's standards, it is difficult to resist the immense pressure to strive for the mythic ideal. To fix perceived inadequacies, some may launch into self-destructive behaviours (e.g., starvation dieting, leading to eating disorders; extreme exercise; smoking; illegal drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines, or prescription medications). In addition to working to overcome perceived inadequacies, a different, invisible, but highly influential factor may come into play for young women: a subtle change in focus to living for others' expectations instead of her own. Increasingly disconnected from herself, she may eventually give up something else of great importance: the larger battle to learn to be herself, and all the ups and downs that journey entails. VALIDITY participants expressed disappointment and resentment at their identities being judged superficially by how they look, yet those feelings create for young women another double-bind: women (in some cultures more than others) are not supposed to express anger - they are taught that it's unbecoming, inappropriate and often downright scary for others to observe. Silenced, young women are socialized to turn the anger inward toward themselves, the only place that remains where it can be safely put. But held inside, the anger eats away at a young person's sense of self and can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness and of being trapped, can decrease self-esteem and create insecurity. Withdrawal from social situations and, ultimately, depression may soon follow. Young women need to believe the struggle to evolve authentically is not an impossible one, despite the expectations of society, family and friends. They need to know and feel it's a journey over which they hold some level of control. They need to feel that they are important, that they have gifts they and absolutely no one else can bring to the world, that the messages of inadequacy those pervasive images send out are false. Within a non-judgmental, supportive space, where she can speak freely and openly about frustrations and anger-fuelled concerns, a young woman can go a long way toward preventing any beginnings of despair over disempowerment in her life from escalating into the internalized anger that can eventually become depression. Explore with young women what body image is, how it's influenced and what the effects are of having a strong and positive body image versus a weak and negative body image. There is support for young women struggling with body image and/or eating disorders. One young writer comments: My family and friends can be credited for numerous things. For instance, they encouraged a positive body image by monitoring the magazines and other media forms inside our house and removing any negative sources. They eliminated talking about diets as well as making negative body comments about themselves and others. We did activities that really celebrated our bodies and everything that they do for us by going on hikes and bike rides. My best friend supported me by letting me know that she cared and was there for me in countless ways, such as cards, phone calls, visits and giving me an awesome picture of the two of us together before I ever developed problems, one that I was able to look back on many times and would make me smile. Some examples of helpful strategies for service providers are:
Helpful strategies for young women, and their friends and family, include:
For additional information, see: Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne. (2005). I'm, Like, So Fat! Helping Your Teen Make Healthy Choices about Eating and Exercise in a Weight-Obsessed World. New York: The Guilford Press. Sheena's Place Recovering from Sizism
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Last updated: Dec 13, 2006 4:14 PM Published: Mar 19, 2010 6:55 PM ID#P24669 |