Body image and the media. The fashion models, stereotypes, and cultures portrayed by the media give many a negative body image or self image. "A positive body image and positive self image are very much connected,"...
"A positive body image and positive self image are very much connected," says Sondra Kronberg, a clinical nutrition therapist specializing in eating disorders. She is on the board of directors of the National Eating Disorders Association and is the executive director of NEDA Long Island.
"A positive anything is really about hearing a positive message. I think the media stereotypes size and shape. When you look at models who are 5"0' or 5"2' wearing the latest clothes with latest hairstyles, does it support you feeling good about your body at a size 10 or 12? I mean, it's a stereotype to say what we should look like for both men and women. When we don't look that way, we don't feel accepted in that culture. It makes us feel bad about ourselves, which puts us at risk for developing anything to try and achieve that media image. The media's image is very controlled and contrived. It's computer generated, so what you see is not what it really is."
