Growing up in today's generation, one is constantly exposed to the various media outlets that are present. With technology constantly on the rise it does not come to a surprise that these sources have increasingly become prominent. One of the main figures that can often be found always in the public's eye, are models. Due to their mass amount of attention with the community, they seem to have a huge impact on their audience's opinions and thoughts. Therefore, the modeling industry has become the main subject to blame for the concerning increase in body image issue's and disorders that are continuing to arise in women everywhere. 

Everyday companies are broadcasting their products using models as endorsements. As absurd as it sounds advertisers strive to purposely project a body image that is unrealistic and impractical to grab a majority of their audience. It is believed that these images are purposely promoted in "order to create an unattainable desire that can drive product consumption" (Eating Disorders). By constantly introducing the idea that a woman could be happier or more attractive, there will always be a motivation to invest in these goods. Unfortunately, this marketing strategy has influenced females to feel dissatisfied with there body, then causing them to strive for an extremely thin figure. Healthy Place found that "[e]ighty percent (80%) of 10-year-old girls have dieted, and at any one time, 50% of American women are currently dieting" (Eating Disorders). With "[t]he average women see[ing] 400 to 600 advertisements a day," they will begin to reflect long term effects due to their constant exposure (Eating Disorders). Therefore, commercials that emphasize physical characteristics that are beyond reach, generate the increase in females that feel the need to diet or take extreme measures in hopes of achieving a certain appearance. 

With social media sites continuing to rise with popularity, advertisements are no longer the main source where one can find unrealistic images. Technology now allows people to access any of their media accounts within a click of a button and it is very obvious what topics are most prominent on these pages. Pictures often promote women that have clearly deprived themselves of proper nutrients and they are often praised for their ribs emerging out their sides. Claire Mysko, head of youth outreach for the National Eating Disorders Association, stated that "[w]e live in a culture where eating disorders thrive because of the messages we're exposed to" (Rojas). Unfortunately, this illness has the highest mortality rate than any other psychiatric disease and it was "estimated [that] 30 million Americans suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some point in their life" (Rojas). The problem becomes even more concerning when considering the fact that technology has now begun to effect young children. University of Haifa did a study in 2011 concluding "that the more time teenage girls spend on Facebook, the higher their risk of developing negative body images and eating disorders" (Rojas). Regardless of age, it is proven that the internet's glorification of unhealthy figures is only increasing the amount of females who are susceptible to acquiring a disease that is fatal. 

The images that are often seen when browsing the internet, have usually undergone a vast number of transformations in order to appear the way they do. A program called Photoshop allows one to take a picture and alter various aspects of it such as: the length of one's legs, width of the face, how far the stomach protrudes out, the facial features, and plenty more characteristic that can completely change the way a person looks. Therefore, the icons that people are exposed to frequently, may not actually be the ideal figure we see. ABC News decided to do a piece on a video that went viral, depicting a female model whose picture went through numerous modifications to result in a product that shocked many.  It began "with an attractive average sized model, glammed up by hair and makeup artist, but within seconds the real transformation [occurred]" (Time Lapse). In less than a minute, this woman was completely altered into a photograph that did not even resemble herself. A mother spoke up about the issue stating that, "she is using the clip to remind her daughter that when it comes to body image in magazines, the beauty is often in the eye of the photoshopper" (Time Lapse). Fortunately, this is the perfect example that can make society aware of the adjustments that can be made to any picture and this is one of the many factors that continues to ruin the the body complication today. 

With all these false displays of women's appearances roaming through technological outlets, many female advocates have begun to speak up about their beliefs on the issue. It is unethical to continue to praise these unrealistic body sizes and cause a huge portion of people to feel unaccepted due to the requirements that have been made in judging a person's physical characteristics on a scale. Ashley Graham, a plus size model, spoke up in her recent TED Ed talk about her personal experience in the fashion industry and how she feels it has effected our generation. Graham began her presentation saying, "I felt free once I realized I was never going to fit the narrow mold that society wanted me to fit in" (TEDx Talks). She proceeded by stating that "the plus size fashion industry actually starts at a US size eight and goes up to a US sixteen", so basically a majority of society is labelled as plus size (TEDx Talks). With that being said it does not come to a surprise that only a survey of ten different countries showed results that reflected only "two percent of women find themselves beautiful" (TEDx Talks). Graham concluded her speech by asking her audience to come together and redefine the global image of what society considers appealing and it is critical that everyone is reminded that true beauty comes from within. 

Even though many elements contribute to the explanation for blaming the modeling business for the mass amount of issues with body weight and the diseases that seem to correlate with exposure to these images, some sources claim that this industry has absolutely no effect on society. Instead of criticizing those walking the catwalk or certain females that are plastered on various magazine covers, it is important to focus the attention on the victims themselves. A well known photographer, Brian Venth, highlighting what he believes to be the main problem today and who is really at fault. He claimed that, "serious body image issues aren't caused by looking at beautiful models who have their pictures taken ...  they are caused by underlying mental health issues that need attention" (Venth, Brian). He continued to explain that a person can not be influenced to the extreme of acquiring an eating disorder, just by viewing a picture of someone. Venth also addressed the purpose of agencies having certain body standards when hiring women. Usually "the physical requirements that fashion designer need to know [are] in order to makes their sample pieces ...  so that any model can wear them of the runway" (Venth, Brian). Venth's article is a complete counterargument to the idea that models do effect women in numerous ways. However, he does not take into consider that when a person is constantly subjected to viewing women that are of a certain body size or appearance and the community they live in praises these certain specifications, it is almost impossible for them not to feel as if they are not good enough. Therefore, these self doubts will easily lead to disorders and a high lack of personal worth. 

With certain allegations being presented about the fashion industry not effecting their audience, an interview with I conducted with a young woman named Sybil Fischer can become very notable. From singing along to the popular lullabies heard throughout households everywhere, to being given the change to travel across the United States in a worldwide singing competition, Fischer soon gained the stardom she had dreamed of obtaining before she could even blink. With her fame continuing to rise, she always strived to become a better version of herself in hopes of gaining more followers. However, she began to lack in confidence and she could often find herself questioning why she was not good enough for society. She would sit in front of a mirror, gazing at an appearance she no longer believed to be beautiful. Her thoughts soon drove her to extreme behaviors and that was where her speedy path to depression began. An eating disorder was the first to arrive. Whether she was not eating at all or binge eating, she could often been found in the bathroom after "meals" throwing up the contents of her stomach. Her body began to diminish away and her health problems became severe. She was forced to reach out for help and after she received advice from many doctors she started to take steps towards recovery. However, eating disorders are often correlated with mental illness as well. Therefore, Fischer has spent the last few years in and out of psychiatrist offices. Her mornings are spent taking a handful of pills to ease her pain and her afternoons are spent trying to overcome the daily pressures she encounters. Due to her personal down fall, she emphasized the major changes that need to occur in order for this business to make a positive difference. She elaborated on how she believes models should be required to meet certain healthy body standards and how their appearance should not be weighed so heavily as a deciding factor of whether or not they get hired for the gig. Fischer concluded by stating that it would even be helpful if models themselves addressed the body and image concerns at hand, becoming role models and advocates for females. 

Women everywhere can relate to the emotional and physical toll Fischer gained in relation to the requirements society enforces. A scholarly article on the influence television has on its consumers revealed information that is extremely prevalent. According to various studies, "69.1% of the female characters [seen on TV] are rated as thin ... . And the thinner [they are] the more positive comments the character receives from males" (Eisend, Martin). Whether it is a young child watching a program designated for kids or an adult watching the newest reality show, thinner figures are always prevalent. Females of all ages constantly receiving "exposure to ideal body images in mass media, [which] seems to contribute to eating disorders" (Eisend, Martin). Unfortunately, these biased sources are steadily providing "to the fact that one woman out of every two is dissatisfied with their body" (Eisend, Martin). If society persists on allowing these impractical appearances to be celebrated, women will continue to be influenced negatively and most will feel that extreme measures are necessary in hopes of meeting "perfection". 

Society's expectations have become more publicized causing females of all ages to be influenced. Studies found by Westminster College revealed that, "nearly half of females ages 6-8 have stated that they want to be slimmer" (Serdar). The alarming statement uncovers that ugly truth that girls at such a young age are already aware that they are not meeting the ideal image that their community has exposed to them. Media can be a direct correlation with this especially when regarding fashion magazines. It was reported that "83% of teenage girls reported reading [these magazines] for about 4.3 hours each week" (Serdar). With studies showing that females "who read fashion magazines display higher levels of thin-ideal internalization", a high risk of disorders become prevalent (Serdar). So in addition to people consuming these images through television, magazines are also a huge contribution in revealing particular figures to their audience that do not reflect realistic characteristics. 

The continuous display of body images forces the audience to believe that unless they can obtain these ideal appearances, then they are no longer seen as acceptable. Obviously "people want to look like the body images they see on television, in the movies and in magazines," (Thompson) therefore the need to change these figures has become prominent. Instead of viewing these effects as harmful though, society has started to highlight the numerous dietary products that has given many people hope in achieving the "perfect" physical look. However, "[m]any of the diets on the market right now are also unhealthy" (Thompson). They convince the consumers that if they purchase their merchandise, they will gain the images that the models they often see possess. In hopes of bringing this absurdity to a halt, steps need to be taken in order to guiding the modeling industry into a more positive direction. Bringing attention to these concerns will also benefit those growing up in this society, Therefore, "parents need to also teach their children the value of healthy eating" and emphasize the importance of being confident with one's own body (Thompson). 

In a generation where technology is prominent, social media websites and various sources of exposure are significant on a person's life. Constantly viewing certain ads or texts can sway one's opinion or perception on a particular idea. Therefore, the modeling industry, or the women we see in almost every image we come in contact with, has a huge affect on the increasing amount of issues that are arising relating to body concerns. The models presented are thin and are perceived to be happy with a plethora of men lined up in hopes of being with them. Of course other females view this and hopes of gaining that level of euphoria. However, they think that without that physical appearance then they will be unwanted and unattractive. Therefore, they begin obtaining eating disorders in hopes of gaining a figure that can be considered beautiful. Overall, the models that are prevalent in the various outlets society employs have a huge impact on the body issue today. 

