I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the ongoing message that the natural, curvy, womanly body I was born into is unacceptable˳ I’m tired of being horrified when I hear that five-year old girls already criticize their bodies and think they need to lose weight˳ I’m tired of the media forcing their limited, unattainable version of beauty on us˳
The underweight beauty ideal of today is a complete invention of the media machine˳ Nature never intended women to look like teenage boys with large breasts, but the relentless media depiction of this body type powerfully defines it as the ultimate in beauty˳
Without starvation and plastic surgery, it’s impossible for 99% of women to achieve this ideal˳ So we learn to dislike our naturally gorgeous bodies and try desperately to change them˳ The toxic body messages we are deluged with every day cause eating disorders and widespread unhappiness˳
53% of 13 year-old girls and 80% of adult women spend every day disliking their bodies˳ It doesn’t have to be this way˳ People naturally have all sorts of different body shapes and sizes˳ We don’t have to let the media continue to define just one type of beauty as the ideal˳ We don’t have to let them continue to ruin countless lives in their quest for more profits˳
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Media Watchdog program is working to change the toxic media message˳ You can help by joining the free program and monitoring magazines, television, and radio˳ Keep track of what you see then send your positive and negative findings to NEDA˳
Every quarter they write at least one letter of praise or protest to companies on behalf of the Watchdogs and post the results on the NEDA Media Watchdog website˳ Since the inception of the program in 1997, over half the ads they protested have been discontinued˳
It’s time for the media’s attack on our bodies to stop˳ The Watchdog program gives us a powerful voice for change˳
What to look for:
Protest:
* Ads with a message or image intended to make people feel bad about their body shape or size˳
* Promoting thinness as the only acceptable body size˳
* Shows or ads that make fun of heavy people or imply that they are inferior or unacceptable˳
* Idealizing people who are dieting or starving themselves˳
* People shown using food for comfort, stress relief, or companionship˳
* Emaciated models or actresses portrayed as the beauty ideal or star of the program˳
* Promoting fitness and exercise solely as ways to get thin rather than ways to get healthy, feel good, and have fun˳
Praise:
* Ads that have people of all sizes and shapes depicted in positive ways˳
* People eating healthy, good foods including desserts˳
* Celebration of natural diversity and the enjoyment of life˳
If you want to take the campaign even further, write your own praise or protest letter to the advertiser or the media outlet˳
Ruffle a few feathers and let them know that attacks on our bodies will not be tolerated and that positive diversity is appreciated˳ Tell them you won’t be buying their products due to the offensive advertising˳
Be sure to thank companies for positive messages, too˳ Every little move in the direction of healthy body diversity is great˳ Thank them for being part of a culture that appreciates health and all kinds of beauty˳
Join the NEDA Watchdog program and be part of bringing about positive change in the world˳
Source by https://ezinearticles˳com/?How-to-Stop-the-Media-Attack-on-Your-Body&id=50955
