Media’s Effects on

Body Dysmorphia

Alana Durham. Fabian Lifka. Amedeo Zanotti.

Tucker Stephenson. William Werner.
Business Problem.

How can the problem of advertising

images that seem to promote body
dysmorphia be addressed and
solved?
Body Dysmorphia

● Body Dysmorphia is identified by possessing

perceived imperfections amongst one's appearance
and making repeated actions related to those
perceptions.

● Cultures are obsessed with a flawless ideal of a person

who is thin.

● In a cross cultural study, it was shown that “all cultures

that have eating disorders have the thin ideal.
Our Research

● Social media effects on Body

Dysmorphic Disorder
● Women and Body
Dysmorphia
● Media in general and Body
Dysmorphia
Why Social Media?

● Social Media is taking over

traditional media
● 73% of teens in America used social
websites
● 2010 - 47% of adults that are online
use social networking sites (which is
an increase from 37% in 2008)
 ● body dysmorphia in women seemed to be the best option for our
research as women tend to have a more negative, distorted body
image than young men
● One study showed that boys were correct in pinpointing the male

Why Women? figure that girls desire, but girls selected a more thin female figure
than what the boys actually desired
● Females of all ages→ a study was conducted exposing 162 girls
(ages 5-8) to images of either Barbie dolls, Emme dolls (dolls in U.S.
size 16), or no dolls→ The girls exposed to Barbie dolls had a
diminished body esteem and a greater aspiration for a thinner body
than the Emme or no dolls groups
Social Media + Body Dysmorphia
● Research suggests that
pictures depicting a thin body
on social media can cause
harmful influences on people
with psychological
implications, such as: low
self-esteem, depression,
perfectionism, internalization
of the thinness ideal, and
centrality of appearance to
#bodydysmorphi self worth
a
 #Collarbonechallenge
2015 Challenge which encouraged consumers to strive for a
said desirable body type
 “The hashtag-able body”

#FITSPIRATION. #THIGHGAP. #BIKINIBRIDGE.

● #fitspiration- is a hashtag used to promote a hearty and lively lifestyle, but

this hashtag also tends to have unfavorable effects on viewers.
● because it promotes and glorifies one body type as the ideal appearance.
 Negative Business Practice
● “Everyday women are bombarded with
advertisements that make them feel insecure about
their bodies in the hope that they will spend money
on products that will supposedly make them happier
and more beautiful”

● Campaigns like this can reduce one’s self-esteem by

making people feel like they do not fit a standard
definition of beauty.
Positive Business Practices

-
Body Dysmorphia and Society
● Cultural Norms of a certain body weight

● Study: n=687 college aged females

● “The figure of your own sex that best represents your current

appearance”

● “The figure you would like to look like”

● “What society says you should look like”

● Scores→ 10 (very thin) to 90 (extremely overweight)

● Mean score = 21
Is it the Corporations Responsibility?
Recommendations

● CSR
● Interventions
● Engage in physical activity. Practice
self-care.
● Monitor what brands publish
● Choose spokesperson’s or
“influencers” that accurately
represent their audience
● Find ways to be positive
Questions?
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