Resisting Media Hype: Empowering Women to Reclaim Self-Worth

A Journey from Struggle to Empowerment

Who would have imagined that my mother and I would one day meet as two strong, healthy, and brilliant women, delighting in each other’s company and supporting each other in our quests to achieve our dreams? Certainly not me. There was a time, not so long ago, when I was battling a life-threatening eating disorder, and the gap between my mother and me seemed insurmountable. She wanted desperately to help but didn’t know how, and I needed help but didn’t know how to ask for it.

Fast forward fifteen years to the present. Today, I am a successful psychotherapist who empowers women to break free from self-destructive behavior patterns, particularly eating disorders. At 36, I am in awe of the life I have now and am amazed by how far I’ve come on my journey to health and well-being. Free from the eating disorder that once consumed me, the hell that was my life now seems like a distant memory. Now, I help others who are where I used to be. I never would have imagined the life I have now back then.

A Healing Connection

It’s a sunny, muggy Ontario spring morning as I step into the airport shuttle from my mother’s driveway, choking back tears. I have just spent the past five days with a woman I find increasingly wise and fascinating, who also happened to give me the gift of life. We have both come so far and enjoy celebrating our successes as women. It seems fitting that I have just spent such a pleasant and healing time with my mother directly after attending a conference in Toronto organized by the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC). The conference, titled “Shades of Grey: Body Image and Self-Esteem,” was the first of its kind in Canada.

The Media's Impact on Self-Worth

One recurring issue in my therapy work with clients experiencing disordered eating is the negative impact of media on their self-worth. The media often projects an ideal beauty standard that is impossible to attain. To help women increase their self-worth, I encourage clients to become media savvy, so they can critically analyze the messages aimed at selling products rather than promoting self-esteem.

Key Insights from the NEDIC Conference

One of the keynote presentations at the NEDIC conference was “Re-shaping Reality: Media Impact on Body Image and Self-Esteem” by Shari Graydon. Shari, the former President of Mediawatch, has been an invaluable resource in empowering Canadian citizens to speak out against harmful advertising. Here are some key points from her presentation:

1. Media Messages and Eating Disorders: Media messages don’t cause eating disorders, but they fuel insecurities and nurture vulnerable mindsets.
2. Beauty Standards: There’s no single definition of beauty, despite what commercial media suggests.
3. The Beauty Industry's Motives: The beauty industry benefits when we believe we need constant improvement.
4. Power Dynamics: The emphasis on thin ideals for women and muscular physiques for men reflects fundamental power issues.
5. Unattainable Ideals: Media ideals are physically unattainable due to significant art direction and Photoshop.
6. Choosing Not to Suffer: We can choose not to buy into appearance myths and instead fight destructive media practices.
7. Reducing Media Exposure: Less exposure to commercial media means less likelihood of feeling inadequate.
8. Consumer Power: We can decline to consume products that promote irresponsible attitudes and encourage others to do the same.
9. Cultivating Real Assets: Focus on what we can do and how we can contribute, rather than how we appear.

Taking Back Your Power

To start letting go of the power the media has over how you feel about yourself, here are five things you can do to take your power back and increase feelings of self-worth:

1. Stop Buying Fashion and Beauty Magazines: Instead, buy reading material that makes you feel good. For instance, spiritually enlightening and socially conscious magazines.
2. Find Alternative Media: Look for media that celebrates women instead of demoralizing them. Some magazines I particularly like are BUST and Herizons.
3. Watch Less Television and Hollywood Movies: These mediums glorify a narrow definition of female beauty and success. Instead, find a relatively obscure foreign film or a low-budget documentary that focuses on who we are inside.
4. No Make-Up Day: Make one day out of the week a “no make-up day.” Rebel a little against the beauty ideal you’re expected to live up to and enjoy a nude face.
5. Wear What Makes You Feel Good: Wear something that makes you feel beautiful, confident, and sexy, regardless of whether it follows current fashion dictates.

And if all else fails, repeat this mantra that I learned at the conference: I AM MUCH MORE THAN WHAT YOU SEE.

Interesting Stats

• Media Influence: According to a study by the National Eating Disorders Association, 69% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect body shape (NEDA).
• Photoshop and Reality: A survey by the Renfrew Center Foundation found that 70% of women believe that media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty (Renfrew Center Foundation).
• Economic Impact: The global beauty industry is worth $511 billion as of 2021, highlighting the economic power behind these media messages (Statista).

By becoming more aware of the media's influence and taking proactive steps to counteract it, we can reclaim our self-worth and celebrate our true selves.