The debate surrounding the impact advertising has upon the individual's perception of body image has been increasing in intensity over the past few decades. In the main marketing organisations would deny the claim that any of their promotional material, particularly that of a visual nature, has a direct impact upon the way that the consumer, being the ordinary person like you and me, feel about our body image and, more importantly, the way it might be perceived by others. However, is their objection to the claim that advertising influences body image valid?

Despite attempts over recent years to pay attention to the growing calls for visual advertising to include models that are more representative and reflective of actual body shapes and sizes, the predominant proportion of marketing campaigns still focus on what is perceived to be the "perfect" body image, beauty and looks. The industry is convinced that sex, youth and attractiveness sells, whether to the male or female gender and irrespective of age. Furthermore, consciously or subliminally, that message is forcefully delivered in a way intended to suggest that any individual who does not conform to these body and beauty images is less that perfect.

The advertising and promotional industry creates this problem in three stages. Firstly, it projects what is perceived to be the perfect body image and appearance through promotion of fashion, perfume and a range of other products. Secondly, the health and beauty care industry then promotes the products and actions that will help the consumer to achieve those targets and, lastly, there is the suggestion, sometimes direct, but more often subtle, that if the consumer does not do anything to change it could lead to their being isolated within the social environment.

As will be seen from the following, statistical research evidence supports these findings.

ADVERTISING

Surveys have shown that, by late teens, women will have been subjected to approaching 250,000 commercials, 9% of which directly targets beauty and image, and a significant proportion of the remainder use it as a subliminal focus. Other findings confirm that 50% of adverts in girl teen magazines and 56% of TV commercials either target physical attraction issues or use beauty an image to sell products.

In regards to fashion, marketers appear to deliberately select models whose weight is around 23% less than the average female, which exacerbates the body image problem. This is particular

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