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Medium (Weight), Media and Models – Attention for Anorexia and Obesity

By: Hans Bool
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:24:52
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The brand "Dove" (from the company Unilever) is leading a new trend. They advertise with "real" and normal women rather than with exceptional models. I’ve not noticed other companies advertise like this, maybe there are, but Dove is sure one of the companies who have a stake in the ongoing catwalk-discussion; "Is the current norm for a catwalk girl still normal?"

Newspapers increasingly write about the current norm: After speaking to a recovering anorexic teenager, Hannah and Rebecca consider whether the media is to blame for the images it suggests as body "perfect". (www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/yoursay/newyouth/morgan_llwyd/features/media.shtml)

At the other end of the spectrum we find the problem of obesity. And even though obesity seems an individual problem, the cause is more likely to be societal; obesity is a by-product of over exposure to the television culture and underexposure to sports.

Does the current beauty norm that is portrayed by the media, contribute to the obesity-problem? For example by the "near-anorexia-"girls that get invited to the catwalk, instead of some more healthier female colleagues. The lower we set the norm in sense of weight for the catwalk, the lower the average weight will be. And a lower average weight will turn more people into the obesity category.

If we increase the norm for models to a more “normal” weight, than we will probably have less women who will feel uncomfortable and this will probably increase the incentives to loose some weight. Not too extreme, but enough to feel happy.

And the world around us, the media ... they could just follow. In fact they will if the new standard is accepted by the public.

There are good examples, like the previous mentioned Dove. If, for another reason, television is one of the causes of obesity, this same television could help to address the problem of obesity. A more healthy television will probably give an incentive to a more healthy society, with lower underweight and less overweight.

In Madrid the "skinniest models" are already banned from the catwalk (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2349467,00.html). Will others follow?

© 2006 Hans Bool

Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management tools. Have a look at some of our free management tools

Article source: Expert Articles

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