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The Thin-Ideal

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The Thin-Ideal
Summary The thin-ideal in advertisements has been a topic of wide debate for decades, specifically concerning its ethicality. As seen in various types of media, the “thin-ideal” occurs when a very thin model is featured as its lead, thus promoting the concept that thin is desirable to be. The thin-ideal has been a controversial topic in advertising and other forms of media due to the potentially harmful effects that it can cause to women who have been exposed to it. Issues such as body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and depression have all been linked to the negative effects perpetuated by the “thin-ideal.” Despite its potential harms, the thin-ideal is still continued to be used in advertisements since it is ultimately effective for advertisers to use. By using a thin model in an advertisement for their …show more content…
By promoting the thin-ideal in advertisements, women exposed are pre-dispositioned to the notion that thin is the the ideal beauty standard and must do whatever it takes to uphold that image. This includes in engaging in harmful eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, which can ultimately be fatal if untreated overtime.
Due to the oversaturation of the thin ideal in today’s media, body dysmorphia can begin to occur at a very young age in girls and result in adolescence filled with depression, body image issues, low-self esteem, amongst other issues. Since the thin-ideal promotes an unrealistic portrayal of women, it is unethical for advertisers to show this since many of them use photoshop to alter their images, making even the models used in the advertisements technically unrealistic. In multiple studies conducted, exposing young women to ads that feature the thin-ideal makes them feel negative about themselves and may often lead to a negative portrayal of that
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