The Media Epidemic

It seems to me the media has given over exposure to the world epidemic of eating disorders. Don't for a minute think that I am lessening the extreme to which our body image problems have come, for I have not; in fact its quite the opposite to that. I don't take eating disorders lightly because well I have been struggling an on going battle with one for the past 5 years of my life. I flipped through a magazine today the images and topics are enough to drive me insane, messages are pressed at me from all angles about new diets and taking your body one step farther but is it ever enough?

Tabloids are exposing the stick thin celebrities in Hollywood as freaks and mental cases when really, what do you expect people to look like after diets and airbrushed images are shoved in our face everyday. The only reason we see so many celebrities with these dieses is because they are the ones who are sought after by paparazzi for daily candid shots; But famous faces are not the only ones touched by these media driven dieses everyday people are exposed to the dangerous epidemic which is sweeping our nation.

Its not too often you can turn on the television and fail to find a commercial for supporting a child overseas; images flash across the screen of young boys and girls whose ribs stick out in un-natural ways and whose limbs look like they are just pieces of skin covering the weakened bones. Most of them account to about a dollar a day to feed this child three healthy meals; maybe the media should be broadcasting commercials to feed Hollywood celebrities. These actresses, actors, singers, models and dancers are not only hearing the media messages they are smack dab in the middle of them. One wrong move and your scum in the next issued tabloid. The media creates this problem and then they use it as front cover headlines accusing people of being mentally unstable and having image issues; no wonder so many people go into rehabilitation.

So if I have offended anyone in regards to my scrutiny of the media I challenge you to prove me wrong. Show me that the images contained in the daily gossip magazines are not airbrushed and tell me that millions are not made yearly off the latest diet and cosmetic surgery publication. Don't criticize people for have issues until you do everything in your power to prevent them from happening in the first place.

I have been dancing for almost 12 years now and as I said I am no stranger to the eating disorder alley. I am not ashamed to say that I have faced battles and still do on a daily basis because of the role weight has played in the world of dance and performing arts as pressure by created by none other then the media.

I was recently signed with a modeling agency and after sitting down to discuss my upcoming introduction shoot for my portfolio the agent got on the topic of developing the pictures and quickly touched on the topic of how the pictures would be airbrushed after to look just how we wanted them for the interviews I had ahead of me. Airbrushing, taking away anything that isn't wanted; the few extra pounds, the scar, the color of your skin, your age, any flaw you have its almost promised to be airbrushed out. Whatever happened to the naturally beautiful women and men; how do we actually know who the beautiful people are any more? The fact is we don't and once again we owe that to the media; our perception of beauty has changed so rapidly and this is not a positive change. With the standards constantly raised women and men must stretch their bodies to the limits to reach the new bar which has been set.

Does this mean im going to stop buying the latest magazines or tabloids? You may be thinking wouldn't that solve your problem; if you didn't purchase it you wouldn't be faced with the new standards and would become satisfied with your self. Im here to say I wished it were that simple, body image is something myself along with millions of women will continue to suffer with forever. The day the media dies, so will this problem; in other words we must learn to deal with the issues of the world and support each other because there is no solution to the media aggravated assault of the beauty of God's creation on the human body.