3 ms·

There are many other potential body shapes that are healthy and fit. The point is that for most people, the idealized, photoshopped shapes in these ads are actu

There are many other potential body shapes that are healthy and fit. The point is that for most people, the idealized, photoshopped shapes in these ads are actually literally unobtainable. Only a very small percentage of the population can ever achieve these shapes, for a very few years of their lives, and under very specific conditions. And when your media is saturated with only those images of impossible bodies, and the implication that this is the ideal that everyone should meet, even though that’s impossible, then it becomes a problem.

cloakandswagger 9y ago
None of the women I saw in those pictures seem to have particularly unattainable or exaggerated physiques. In fact, they look like average, healthy body types easily attainable by regular diet and exercise. Claiming that "only a very small percentage of the population can ever achieve these shapes" smacks as totally false to me. Do you have any data or sources to back that up? edit: Would the downvoters care to contribute? I asked for some data or, at the very least, some sound reasoning for the claim that it's literally impossible for the majority of people to have healthy physiques.
- user5994461 9y ago
  They are better than average. Unless the average is only considering the population of 20-30 years old women, in good shape, wearing tight clothes, posing for a photo in a nice scenery. Ironically, Instagram has good filters and beautify mode to make good looking pictures like that.
Spivak 9y ago
Sure, but in the same breath I'm never going to meet the ideal set by the athletes in Gatorade commercials, the men in car, cologne and watch ads, and certainly the spokespeople in gym and fitness commercials. I will only speak to my experience but I'm not bothered by it. I think because my self-worth doesn't hinge on feeling attractive -- I think I should consider myself extremely fortunate in that respect. But putting ugly people in ads seems to be nothing more a band-aid fix for the problem that a womans's worth is largely determined by her appearance.

cloakandswagger 9y ago

None of the women I saw in those pictures seem to have particularly unattainable or exaggerated physiques. In fact, they look like average, healthy body types easily attainable by regular diet and exercise. Claiming that "only a very small percentage of the population can ever achieve these shapes" smacks as totally false to me. Do you have any data or sources to back that up? edit: Would the downvoters care to contribute? I asked for some data or, at the very least, some sound reasoning for the claim that it's literally impossible for the majority of people to have healthy physiques.

user5994461 9y ago
They are better than average. Unless the average is only considering the population of 20-30 years old women, in good shape, wearing tight clothes, posing for a photo in a nice scenery. Ironically, Instagram has good filters and beautify mode to make good looking pictures like that.

Spivak 9y ago

Sure, but in the same breath I'm never going to meet the ideal set by the athletes in Gatorade commercials, the men in car, cologne and watch ads, and certainly the spokespeople in gym and fitness commercials. I will only speak to my experience but I'm not bothered by it. I think because my self-worth doesn't hinge on feeling attractive -- I think I should consider myself extremely fortunate in that respect. But putting ugly people in ads seems to be nothing more a band-aid fix for the problem that a womans's worth is largely determined by her appearance.