Both men and women feel a pressure to look a certain way due to the fact that advertisers sell products through sexuality and the importance of looking good. Consequently, research reveals that this is having an adverse affect on women’s body images as the desire to achieve a super slim body which is adorned by the media, is manifesting in unhealthy behaviours. Similarly, advertisers have been under the spotlight for portraying unrealistic ideals for men also.

Women/Girls and Body Image:
Women often compare their own body to those others. It has been suggested that seeing idealised body images results in women feeling dissatisfied and unattractive in them self. Some alarming facts:
• It is believed that 75% of women who are of normal weight actually believe they are overweight.
• 90% of women overestimate their own body size.
• The most sought after wish for girls aged 11-17 is to be thinner.
• Girls who are as young as 5 years old have stated they are scared of getting fat.
• 80% of 10 year old girls have at some point been on a diet.
• 47% of girls are affected by images in magazines and only 29% of these were overweight.

Men/Boys and Body Image:
Although issues related to body image are usually linked to women, there is a growing concern of the pressure men have to appear muscular. This has resulted in an alarming rise in the obsession of weight training, the use of dietary supplements and anabolic steroids. Although the majority of eating disorders in teenagers are linked to girls (90%) it is suspected that more boys are affected than known, as boys are less likely to come forward with such an illness.