Section One: Body Image and the MediaOur bodies make us who we are. Each person is unique due to their physical characteristics. Although each individual has their own opinion of what their perfect body would be, changing personal characteristics would take away from individuality (Schlegel, 2013). An individual should be able to take pride in knowing that no person on this earth is exactly like them. Inner and outer beauty differentiates an individual from the rest of the population (Women's Health Network, 2012). Life would be boring if everyone looked the same. What is body image? Body image is how individuals view themselves and how they think others see them. Body image is how an individual feels about their body and includes their perception, imagination, emotions, and physical sensations (Schlegel, 2013). Mass media has been successful in changing popular culture and regularly influencing public opinion. However, when abused, media power can harm the general population (Haas, Pawlow, Pettibone, & Segrist, 2012). Images portrayed by the media have a habit of inspiring people to strive to be someone else's idea of ​​perfection, while unconsciously ignoring their own idea of ​​perfection. own objectives. Media-formed stereotypes that include impeccable men and women have led to a decline in self-acceptance (Martin & Kennedy, 1994). Most media today often presents the perfect body to the public, in the hopes that consumers will strive to achieve health and fitness using a certain idea or product (Women's Health Network, 2012). Although this method of advertising can potentially increase a product's market share, countless individuals suffer from internal conflicts due to the inability to get the media's interpretation of...... middle of paper . ..... be role models (Martin & Kennedy, 1994). For individuals to accept and love themselves as they are, the media must use more realistic numbers to advertise their products. If the media took into account the effects of their images on society, they could easily modify their advertisements by using more average-looking models to sell their product (Schlegel, 2013). In doing so, the media can eliminate the “ideal” that society has come to accept as the standard for attractiveness. This would give individuals fewer opportunities to compare themselves to unrealistic body types and more opportunities to positively compare themselves to their peers (Women's Health Network, 2012). This could potentially eliminate a host of eating disorders and help more people realize that beauty is about more than just the skin..