Comment: Could a disclaimer on all media images help alleviate body image issues?

“Warning: Trying to look as thin as this model may be dangerous to your health.” But would it work?

Nude Young Woman Source: AAP

The prevalence of body image issues is a growing concern amongst Australians, particularly amongst the young.  

According to Better Health, Victoria, approximately nine out of ten young Australian women have dieted at least once in their lives, and around one in four men in the healthy weight range believes themselves to be fat.  

Similar findings were reflected in a 2014 Mission Australia Youth Survey, where body image was identified as one of the three top concerns amongst young people. Concerns expressed by females were considerably higher than males. 

So what are the primary drivers behind these worrying statistics?

Certainly, exposure to media images that promote the ‘perfect’ body type do little to dampen body image issues.

Such images have a detrimental impact because many youngsters aspire to them, yet don’t recognize how much they’ve been edited to portray an unrealistic ’norm’. 

Additionally, filters available on social media apps, such as Instagram and Facebook, means that everyday photos are now adjusted too.  As a result, newsfeeds depict everyone as more attractive, slimmer versions of themselves.

In fact, researchers at the University of Strathclyde, Ohio University and University of Iowa investigated the impact of this by surveying 881 female college students in the US.

Their findings showed that the more time women spent on Facebook, the more they compared their bodies with those of their friends, and the more they felt negative about their appearance.

But it’s not just young females who are affected by media images.  Young males are too.

“Unrealistic and highly stylised images promote the ideal physical body shape as a muscular, lean physique, rather than a lower body weight,” says The Butterfly Foundation’s CEO, Christine Morgan.

“Males who don’t measure up can experience intense body dissatisfaction, which is damaging to their psychological and physical wellbeing.”

“In fact, rates of body dissatisfaction in males are rapidly approaching that of females,” she says.

So how can we address this, and could a disclaimer on all media images help?

According to a study conducted at the University of South Florida it may well.

The psychological study was held to determine if the inclusion of specific disclaimers on magazine images would have any affect on body image and dieting intentions in female students.

The disclaimers read;  “Retouched photograph aimed at changing a person’s physical appearance” or “Warning: Trying to look as thin as this model may be dangerous to your health”.

The findings showed that, with the inclusion of these disclaimers, women were able to distance themselves easier and consciously recognize the false image portrayed.

Without these warnings, women weren’t as consciously aware of just how unrealistic these images and standards were.

A similar Australian study is currently underway at Flinders University.  

Body image expert, Marika Tiggemann, will investigate whether warning labels on photo-shopped images in women’s fashion magazines have a positive or negative impact on the reader’s body image. 

“The theory behind a disclaimer label is that if women are told these images aren’t real they won’t compare themselves and therefore won’t feel bad,” she says.

The Butterfly Foundation’s CEO, Christine Morgan, thinks that disclaimer labeling is the way forward.

“Eating disorders currently affect more than one million Australians and claim the lives of far too many, and we know a pre-cursor to this is negative body image,” she says.

“Images that have been photo-shopped can lead people to believe in a reality that does not actually exist, and this can have detrimental effects.”

Morgan believes that the media should be using its influence to send a positive message to the young to help alleviate this problem.

“We strongly encourage these organisations to promote diversity and to showcase healthy, realistic bodies,” she says.

“We need young people to feel confident and happy, both inside and out, and we need to help them understand that there’s  no right or wrong when it comes to body shape or appearance.”

“It’s also really important that they understand that not everything they see in the media is a reflection of real life.”

Jo Harley is a freelance journalist and writer. 

Anyone needing support with body image or eating disorders is encouraged to contact  the Butterfly National Eating Disorders Supportline on 1800 33 4673.