Cultural and Media Influences on Health

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Cultural and Media Influenceson Health

• Michael Todd

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Media Influence
return
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Topics of Interest

• Body Image

• Exercise

• Sexuality

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Body Image
Below are measurements of your average adult
female compared to Unrealistic body images.
Average Woman Height 54 Weight
145lbs Dress 11-14 Bust
36-37 Waist 29-31
Barbie 60 101lbs 4 39 19
Store Mannequin 60 N/A 6 34 23
It is impossible for a woman to obtain the figure
of Barbie.
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Celebrities Body Image

• Julia Roberts Pamela Anderson
  Jennifer Lopez
• Height 59 57
  56
• Weight 120lbs 105lbs
  120lbs
• Dress N/A N/A
  N/A
• Bust 34 36
  34
• Waist 23 22
  24
• The above are measurements of women that you see
  in the media. The images that the media portray
  as beautiful are still unrealistic for most
  women.

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Body Image

• Q What Effect does the media have on body image?
• A Although the media can be a powerful tool, not
  everyone is affected in the same way by the same
  media imagery. This is usually because some
  people are more vulnerable then others. For
  example chances are that if someone has a low
  self-esteem, they are more likely to compare
  themselves to media images, which can make them
  feel even lower about themselves if they feel
  that they do not meet the same standard of beauty
  that the image they are looking at is
  representing.

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Body Weight(Television)

• "One of the ways that the media is affecting the
  whole epidemic of obesity is the very heavy
  advertisingparticularly on children's shows with
  fast foods, high sugar, high caloric, high fat
  foods, bombarding them with the message that this
  is the kind of food that they should be eating.
  
• Dr. Alvin Poussaint

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Television contd

• Young children dont know anything about
  advertising they think that this is the truth.
  if children think that this type of food is good
  for you, or it makes you happy, then they want
  it. Advertising aimed at children is very
  sophisticated. Particularly with the toy tie-ins
  to fast food children dont realize theyre
  being marketed to.
• Because children are watching TV, They are also
  inactive. Theyre not getting exercise when
  they sit in front of the TV set, so theyre not
  burning off calories.

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Exercise

• The goal To change body composition

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BMI

• What would the BMI say about these two guys?

Height Weight BMI
63 220lbs 27.5
63 220lbs 27.5

• This is a good reminder that BMI is only one
  piece of a persons health profile
• It is important to talk with your doctor about
  other measures and risk factors (e.g. waist
  circumference, smoking, physical activity level,
  and diet.)

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Fitness

• Fitness people come from an athletic model
• (team sports, coaches, PE teachers)

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Fitness contd
Questions to ponder

• How do we measure someones fitness?
• Fitness testing glossary

• The Performance based model?
• Presidential fitness testing, weight lifting
  marks.

• Is this essential for measuring individual
  health?

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Fitness contd

• How many of you remember Presidential Fitness
  testing in school? This was a test developed by
  those who come from a fitness model. A
  performance based test that measure ones fitness
  level, not ones health level.

• How much exercise is enough? We have heard as
  little as 30 minutes
• Most days of the week. We have heard as much as
  60 minutes everyday
• Of the week.
• Truth is, these numbers come from a performance
  based model.
• The fitness experts are trying to make you
  athletes, not healthy.
• Truth is 20 minutes a few days of the week,
  will give you the same health
• Benefits as exercising 60 minutes everyday of the
  week.
• Take home Message!!!
• We are trying to change your health, not your
  fitness level.

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Sexuality

• With media playing such an important role in the
  lives of todays teens, it is no wonder that many
  of the messages about teen sexuality come
  directly from the media they consume.

Click me
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Sexuality

• Primetime television, once considered family
  hour, is now a target for sexuality themes in
  both action and innuendo.
• A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation
  found that more than half of all television
  programs, excluding news, sporting events, and
  childrens programming, contained sexual content,
  incorporating an average of more than three
  scenes per hour.
• Another study by the same group found that teens
  believe that the media have some influence over
  their sexual decisions. The study found that
  three out of four 15-17 year olds indicated that
  sexual content on TV influences the behavior of
  their peers somewhat (40) or a lot (32).
  Not surprisingly, only one in four think it
  influences their own behavior.

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Sexuality

• Despite its sometimes controversial nature,
  abstinence remains the only sure way to avoid
  unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted
  diseases (STDs). Yet, popular media rarely show
  teens practicing abstinence in a positive or
  cool way.
• Every year on television most teenagers will view
  about 14,000 references to sexuality, including
  sexual remarks, sexual innuendoes, and jokes.
  However, less than 5 (165) of these remarks will
  deal with topics such as abstinence or sexually
  transmitted diseases (STDs).

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Conclusion

• Parents need to monitor the programs that our
  children watch.

• Children need to get answers from their parents
  and educators, not the media.

• As adults, we need to be better aware of the
  media influences around us.

• Be happy with who you are and send that healthy
  image on to our youth.