Television commercials frequently highlight and promote quick new diet pills or exercising techniques, but all the emphasis on achieving the perfect body is seriously distorting body image.

If someone was flipping through the T.V. channels, it is not unlikely they would be flooded with commercials urging them to buy the latest and greatest diet plan or exercise equipment. The commercials show before and after shots of average people becoming unrealistically thin. Why is it that advertisers impose unattainable standards of beauty on women, which the majority of whom are naturally larger and healthier than any of the models? Many analysts believe the source of this problem is economic. By having advertisers present a standard that is difficult to reach and maintain both the diet and cosmetic product industries are assured profits.

This constant obsession with advertising, “thin is in” may be greatly increasing revenue for the dieting and cosmetic companies, but it is seriously hurting girl’s body image and self-esteem. In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35% of girls 6 to 12 have tried at least one form of dieting and that 50-70% of normal weight girls feel that they are overweight. These statistics are quite alarming, young girls should not be growing up thinking they have to be the ideal woman with Barbie doll proportions. The images of size zero actors endorsing diet pills reinforce to women and especially girls, that this is how their body should look, and it is the only body type fit for society. The reality is most of the dieting commercial aired advertise false information or seriously alter there before and after shots with the aid of photo re-touching. The majority of T.V. commercials images of female beauty are unattainable for all but a few number of women.

It is vital for women of all ages to unite and understand that the body images commercials present are unrealistic and to not fall for the bandwagon techniques advertisers use to suck in average citizens. Remember, advertisers attempt to make an ideal difficult to achieve so that they are assured growth and profit in the dieting industry, stop chasing after something that is so unrealistic.