Advertising's influence on how the average American views themselves physically is profound. The ideal body portrayed by advertisers is slim, muscular and perfect from head to toe. Teens and adults are mostly affected by the glorification of the perfect body and can develop a distorted perception of themselves as being unattractive, fat and flabby. Commercials on television influence viewers body image to sell products. While selling products is important to the health of our economy, destroying the self image of our citizens isn't.

People who develop a negative view of themselves often engage in compulsive and self destructive behaviors in order to improve their body image. Crash dieting, overexercising, taking diet medications and gastric bypass operations can be detrimental to our physical and emotional health. Our attitudes toward others and ourselves begins to change when we are bombarded by images and slogans by advertisers reminding us that our bodies are not perfect and perhaps, ugly.

Beautiful women and handsome men scantily clad, playing volleyball on the beach, drinking a well known soft drink. Their bodies shimmer in the sun as they sip their cool and refreshing drinks. Muscular macho men with six pack abs and women whose musculature is toned to perfection
are part of the "beautiful people" who drink the popular soft drink. They beckon to the viewers of their advertisement to buy the popular drink and become part of the "beautiful" people too.

Subliminally, people may feel the urge to purchase advertised products so that they too may obtain the ultimate in physical beauty and bodily perfection. Advertisers make good money for portraying specimens of physical beauty using their products. Consumers attain a sense of satisfaction that they too are part of the "beautiful people" who use the advertisers products.
Fads, diets and fashions are deeply influenced by advertising on television, radio and in print. Advertisers can and do influence a person's body image through commercials and photo ads. This influence doesn't always have a positive effect on consumers views of themselves or others.

Learn more about this author, Danette M. Scott.
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