Cultural and Media Influences on Health Michael Todd.

Cultural and Media Influenceson Health

Michael Todd

Media Influence

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Topics of Interest

• Body Image

• Exercise

• Sexuality

Body ImageAverage Woman

Height 5’4”

Weight 145lbs

Dress 11-14

Bust 36-37”

Waist 29-31”

Barbie

6’0”

101lbs

4

39”

19”

Store Mannequin

6’0”

N/A

6

34”

23”

Celebrities Body Image

Julia Roberts Pamela Anderson Jennifer Lopez

Height 5’9” 5’7” 5’6”

Weight 120lbs 105lbs 120lbs

Dress N/A N/A N/A

Bust 34” 36” 34”

Waist 23” 22” 24”

Body Weight(Television)

"One of the ways that the media is affecting the whole epidemic of obesity is the very heavy advertising…particularly on children's shows with fast foods, high sugar, high caloric, high fat foods, bombarding them with the message that this is the kind of food that they should be eating.“

Dr. Alvin Poussaint

Television cont’d

Young children and advertising

What are children doing with free time?

Exercise

The goal: To change body composition

BMI

What would the BMI say about these two guys?

HeightWeight

BMI

6’3”220lbs27.5

6’3”220lbs

27.5

• This is a good reminder that BMI is only one piece of a persons health profile

Fitness

Fitness people come from an athletic model

(team sports, coaches, PE teachers)

Fitness cont’d

• How do we measure someone’s fitness?

• Performance based model.

• Is this essential for measuring individual health?

Fitness cont’d

• How many of you remember Presidential Fitness testing in school?

• How much exercise is enough?

Take home Message!!!• We are trying to change your health, not your fitness level.

SexualityWhere do teens get the message?Kaiser Family Foundation.What’s “cool”Every Year

How should you decide if youneed to lose weight?

• Societal role models? Are you supposed to look @ the celebrities mentioned earlier?

• Media? Television, Magazines, Radio, Internet• Height/weight charts? BMI charts?

• Standing on a scale?

The goal

With weight loss and body image, the goal should be to change body composition. Healthy isn't specific to a weight.

Conclusion• Parents need to monitor the programs that our children watch.

• Children need to get answers from their parents and educators, not the media.

• As adults, we need to be better aware of the media influences around us.

• Be happy with who you are and send that healthy image on to our youth.