According to a recent health article, warning labels on magazine pictures stating that the models were digitally altered in some way can make a difference in how women feel about their own bodies. That the tall, rail thin portrayals of women on the magazine covers, movies and even television shows are not factual is important for women to know. In today’s world, many of those celebrities and models are, in fact, air brushed or digitally enhanced. This facade has placed an unnecessary self body image on women. But the truth is, while those models keep getting smaller, the average woman is getting larger. This is causing even more disconnect and self loathing that is detrimental to one’s mental health. The construed self imagine and poor self esteem causes an increase in disordered eating and unhealthy dieting. The good news is that some countries are making an attempt to stop this and it might just work. Australia and France have begun slapping warning labels on various magazines whose audience targets young women. Just like that printed label on the side of a pack of cigarettes, these countries explain to the readers that the models inside the magazine are digitally altered. Comparing 102 women between the ages of 18 and 35, one researcher found that these labels do impact women’s self imagine. The Australian Amy Slater with Flinders University School of Psychology split the women up into three groups. One group was given magazines that issued specific warnings as to what precisely was altered. Another group received material the only told the reader there were digital enhancements done and the last group were given materials that had no warning labels. Slater’s results showed that when the women were questioned about their body dissatisfaction, the women who received specific warning labels weren’t affected as much as those with no warning labels. Clearly putting some sort of a disclaimer could lead to a society of more self esteem and less body dissatisfaction.
