Editing Body image (section)

==Causes==
=== Fashion industry ===
Fashion magazines directed at females subtly promote thinness and diet practices, and teenagers heavily rely on them for beauty and fashion advice. ''[[Seventeen (American magazine)|Seventeen]]'' in particular recorded one of the highest number of articles devoted to appearances; 69% of girls reported that it had influenced their ideal body shapes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/articles/eating-disorders-body-image-and-advertising/|title=Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising |publisher=HealthyPlace|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> 50% of advertisements featured also used beauty appeal to sell products.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://infographiclist.com/2012/05/18/body-culture-how-media-shapes-our-thoughts-and-ideas-about-beauty-eating-and-image-infographic/|title=Body Culture: How Media Shapes Our Thoughts and Ideas About Beauty, Eating and Image [INFOGRAPHIC]|date=May 18, 2012|publisher=Infographic List|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 90% of teenage girls felt a need to change their appearances,<ref name=":22">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/what-body-image|title=What is Body Image?|publisher=National Eating Disorders Association|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> and that 81% of 10-year-olds were already afraid of being fat.<ref name=":22" /> According to a survey by [[Manchester Metropolitan University]], "self-esteem and views of body image suffered after the participants were shown magazine pictures of models, [suggests] that media portrayal of images can prolong anorexia and bulimia in women and may even be a cause of it".<ref name=":15" /> A 2014 survey of 13- to 17-year-old Americans found that 90% "felt pressured by fashion and media industries to be skinny",<ref name=":20">{{Cite book|title=Teens, Social Media And Body Image|last=Gallivan|first=H|publisher=Park Nicollet Melrose Cente|year=2014|location=MN}}</ref> and that 65% believed that the bodies portrayed were too thin.<ref name=":20" /> More than 60% habitually compared themselves to models,<ref name=":20" /> and 46% strove to resemble models' bodies.<ref name=":20" />

According to [[Dove (toiletries)|Dove]]'s ''The 2017 Dove Global Beauty and Confidence'' ''Report'', "a total of 71% of women and 67% of girls want to call on the media to do a better job portraying women of diverse physical appearance, age, race, shape and size."<ref name=":13" /> In addition, 67% of men now strongly believe that it is unacceptable for brands to use photo manipulation techniques to alter the body image of a model.<ref name=":19" /> In response, the fashion magazine industry has made efforts to include 'real' women, and to reduce or ban the use of airbrushing tools. Likewise, some fashion brands and retailers adopt vanity sizing in their assortments to try to intentionally raise a customer's self-esteem while shopping in stores. This involves labeling clothes with smaller sizes than the actual cut of the items to trick and attract the consumer.

Fashion models themselves have experienced negative body image due to industry pressures: 69% reported that they were told to tone up,<ref name=":23">{{Cite news|url=http://news.northeastern.edu/2017/02/fashion-week-brings-questions-about-body-image-front-and-center/|title=Fashion Week brings questions about body image front and center|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> while 62% reported that their agencies had required them to lose weight or change their body shapes.<ref name=":23" /> 54% of models revealed that they would be dropped by their agencies if they failed to comply.<ref name=":23" /> Models frequently have underweight [[body mass index]] (BMI): a study published in the [[International Journal of Eating Disorders]] discovered that a majority of models had a BMI of 17.41,<ref name=":23" /> which qualifies as anorexia. In the past twenty years, runway models have also transformed from a typical size 6–8 to 0–2. The average weight of an American model was recorded to be twenty-three percent less than that of an average American woman. In 2006, the fashion industry came under fire due to the untimely deaths of two models, [[Luisel Ramos]] and [[Ana Carolina Reston]], both of whom had suffered from eating disorders and been severely underweight. Other models endure intensive exercise regimes, diets, [[Fasting|fasts]], and detoxes; in order to maintain or lose weight. In addition, 17% have admitted to stimulant abuse,<ref name=":23" /> while another 8% frequently engaged in self-induced vomiting to induce weight loss.<ref name=":23" />

Fashion industry insiders argue that clothes hang better on tall, thin catwalk models, but critics respond that an overemphasis on that body type communicates an unhealthy and unrealistic body image to the public.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 6, 2017 |title=Dior and Gucci ban super-skinny models |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-41174739 |access-date=November 1, 2017 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

=== Attempts at promoting body positivity ===
{{Further|Body image law}}

Various jurisdictions have taken steps to protect models and promote healthier body image. The U.K. and the U.S. have pursued social education campaigns. [[Spain]], [[Italy]], [[Brazil]], and [[Israel]] prohibit models from working with a BMI below 18.5.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/summer-rayne-oakes/the-skinny-of-fashions-body-image-issue_b_3308004.html|title=The Skinny of Fashion's Body-Image Issue|last=Oakes|first=Summer Rayne|date=May 22, 2013|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> [[France]] similarly forbids the employment of extremely skinny models,<ref name=":21">{{Cite news|url=http://www.health.com/anorexia/underweight-models-french-fashion-brands|title=French Fashion Brands Are Refusing to Hire Models Under Size 2. Here's Why That's So Important|publisher=Health.com|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> and requires medical certificates to verify their health.<ref name=":21" />

France is also working on ensuring retailers specify when an image is airbrushed in magazines, websites, and advertisements,<ref name=":24">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/07/france-laws-thin-models-retouched-photographs|title=Digital fakery? My dear, that is just so last year |last=Ellen|first=Barbara|date=May 6, 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> although it is unclear whether consumers are already aware of digital retouching techniques.<ref name=":24" /><ref>Kim Willsher (December 18, 2015), [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/18/models-doctors-note-prove-not-too-thin-france Models in France must provide doctor's note to work], ''The Guardian''.</ref> Companies in France who want to avoid a fine must label their post if the image has been altered for enhancement.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 30, 2017 |title=Is she Photoshopped? In France, they now have to tell you |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41443027 |access-date=April 3, 2021 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Fashion conglomerates [[Kering]] and [[LVMH]] recently "announced that they will no longer hire models smaller than a U.S. size 2".<ref name=":21" /> in hopes of improving the working conditions of models and inspiring others to follow suit. Critics have objected that to ban size-zero models from working constitutes discrimination or thin-shaming.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.racked.com/2017/9/6/16263360/lvmh-kering-skinny-model-ban|title=This Isn't the Answer to Fashion's Body-Image Issues|publisher=Racked|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> Moreover, the announcement of a small minimum dress size, which does not fit the average body type of most countries, continues to "send the message that super slim body types is the 'ideal'".<ref name=":25">{{Cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lvmh-kering-pledge_uk_59b0f9d7e4b0354e440f56c9|title=Will French Fashion Brands' Ban On Size Zero And Underage Models Really Make A Difference?|date=September 7, 2017|publisher=HuffPost UK|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> [[Plus-size model]]s are slowly emerging in mainstream media, which may improve body image.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-29569473|title=Does social media impact on body image?|last=Roxby|first=Philippa|date=October 13, 2014|work=BBC News|access-date=May 6, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-bites/plus-size-new-york-fashion-week-ashley-graham-candice-huffine-kelly-slater-itsnotok-teatum-jones-disabled-body|title=News Bites {{!}} NYFW Gets Real About Plus-Size, Kelly Slater Says #itsnotok and More...|date=February 16, 2017|publisher=The Business of Fashion|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> Prominent plus-size models include [[Ashley Graham (model)|Ashley Graham]], the face of popular plus-size retailer [[Lane Bryant]], and [[Iskra Lawrence]], a classified role model for lingerie and swimwear retailer [[Aerie (clothing retailer)|aerie]]. [[Christian Siriano]] cast five plus-size models for his [[New York Fashion Week]] shows.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.onbreaking.com/entertainment/interview-with-christian-siriano-about-his-runway-show-with-plus-size-models/2752/|title=Christian Siriano talk about Plus Size Models|date=September 14, 2016|publisher=On Breaking|access-date=November 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015637/http://www.onbreaking.com/entertainment/interview-with-christian-siriano-about-his-runway-show-with-plus-size-models/2752/|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Siriano made global headlines after he designed a gown for plus-sized actress [[Leslie Jones (comedian)|Leslie Jones]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://people.com/style/christian-siriano-confirms-that-leslie-jones-is-a-pretty-woman-at-the-ghostbusters-premiere/|title=Christian Siriano Confirms that Leslie Jones Is a Pretty Woman at the Ghostbusters Premiere|date=July 10, 2016|work=People |access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref>

The lack of fashion-forward plus-size clothing in the fashion industry has given rise to the #PlusIsEqual movement. High-street brands such as [[Forever 21]] and [[ASOS.com|ASOS]] have increased plus-size product offerings.<ref name=":28">{{cite magazine |date=February 25, 2016 |title='Loud and proud': How social media pushed retail to be more body-positive - Digiday |url=https://digiday.com/marketing/loud-proud-social-media-pushed-retail-body-positive/ |access-date=November 1, 2017 |magazine=[[Digiday]]}}</ref> Other brands include [[Victoria Beckham]]'s, who plans to release a range of high-street clothing with sizes up to XXXL,<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 12, 2017 |title=The beauty curve: Here's how the fashion industry is embracing plus sized clothes |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/fashion-and-trends/the-beauty-curve-here-s-how-the-fashion-industry-embraced-plus-sizes/story-A3zwYFeeZIMAsTs1vQWEpK.html |access-date=November 1, 2017 |work=Hindustan Times}}</ref> and [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]], which expanded its plus-size collection sizes 1X to 3X.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 3, 2017 |title=Nike has finally launched its first plus size range |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/nike-plus-size-range-xl-xxxl-body-positive-sportswear-clothing-a7609341.html |access-date=November 1, 2017 |work=The Independent}}</ref> In response to the criticism that the term plus-size caused unnecessary labeling, [[Kmart (United States)|Kmart]] replaced its numerical sizing with positive tags such as, "lovely" and "fabulous" instead.<ref name="NoSizeFitsAll">{{Cite web |title=#NoSizeFitsAll: The rise of body-positive fashion |url=http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/lifestyle/article/nosizefitsall-the-rise-of-body-positive-fashion.html |access-date=November 1, 2017 |publisher=Cafe Babel}}</ref>

Models have notably used Instagram as a tool to "encourage self-acceptance, fight back against body-shamers, and post plenty of selfies celebrating their figure".<ref name=":26">{{Cite magazine |title=Real Women Have Curves |last=Bazilian |first=Emma |magazine=[[Adweek]] |date=April 25, 2016 |url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA451229452&v=2.1&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=d7d9761b9b364c6d5dbff6ac2a615991}}</ref>{{page needed|date=April 2018}} In the U.S., a group of plus-size models launched the #DearNYFW campaign, which targeted the fashion industry's 'harmful approach' towards their bodies.<ref name=":27">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/started-breaking-ribs-fashion-week-models-hit-back-against-pressure/|title='I started breaking my ribs': Fashion week models hit back against the pressure to lose weight|last=Rahim|first=Lucy|date=June 1, 2017|work=The Telegraph|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> This movement was broadcast across different social media platforms, with other models using the hashtag to share their experiences, in hopes of persuading the American fashion industry to start "prioritizing health and celebrate diversity on the runway".<ref name=":27" /> Fashion photographer Tarik Carroll released a photo series titled the ''EveryMAN Project'' to showcase large-framed [[queer]] and [[transgender men]] of color, with the stated purpose of "challenging [[Hypermasculinity|hyper-masculinity]] and [[gender norms]], while bringing body-positivity to the forefront".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/fashion-photographer-promotes-acceptance-everyman-n783881|title=Fashion photographer promotes acceptance of "EveryMAN"|work=NBC News|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref>

Another tactic to promote body positivity has been to protest against photo retouching. In 2014, the [[Aerie (clothing retailer)#Aerie Real|Aarie Real]] campaign promised to display "campaign spreads and brand imagery with stomach rolls, gapless thighs and other perceived flaws that would normally have been edited out of the ads".<ref name=":28" /> Neon Moon, a feminist lingerie brand from London, advocates the beauty of flaws, instead of the need to retouch its models for aesthetic purposes. Another tactic was used by the U.S. e-tailer [[ModCloth]], in which it employed its own staff as models for its swimwear collection.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.today.com/style/modcloth-proves-we-all-have-swimsuit-bodies-new-body-positive-t90081|title='We all have swimsuit bodies': See Modcloth's empowering new campaign|last=Murray|first=Rheana|work=Today |access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref>

=== Social media ===
Beauty standards are being enforced and shaped by social media.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 21, 2021|title=Social media effects on body image and eating disorders|url=https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2021/04/social-media-effects-on-body-image-and-eating-disorders/|access-date=December 2, 2021|website=News|language=en-US}}</ref> Users are constantly exposed to notifications, posts, and photos about the lives of others.<ref name=":122">{{cite book|last=Pierce|first=Cindy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZicxDQAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|title=Sex, College, and Social Media: A Commonsense Guide to Navigating the Hookup Culture|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2016|isbn=978-1-351-81858-2|pages=1–}}</ref> Despite the ability to create and control content on social media, the online environment still enforces the same beauty standards that traditional media promoted.<ref name=":302">{{Cite web|title=The beauty myth puts big users of social media at risk of low self-esteem|url=http://unisa.edu.au/Media-Centre/Releases/2017-Media-Releases/The-beauty-myth-puts-big-users-of-social-at-risk-of-low-self-esteem-media/|access-date=November 1, 2017|publisher=University of South Australia}}</ref> Over-engagement with social networking platforms and images can lead to unattainable ideas of beauty standards.<ref name=":302" /> Oftentimes, the look of the people they idealize is the result of medical procedures.<ref name=":140">{{Cite web |last=Beaulieu |first=Éliciane |date=November 12, 2021 |title=The Dark Side of Social Media: Unrealistic Beauty Standards |url=https://digital.hec.ca/en/the-dark-side-of-social-media-unrealistic-beauty-standards/ |access-date=November 21, 2021 |website=HEC Montréal}}</ref> Influencers and celebrities change the way they look with the help of medical procedures, such as [[lip augmentation]], which became a trend.<ref name=":141">{{cite web |last=Hahn |first=Elizabeth |date=November 15, 2019 |title=The toxicity of beauty standards |url=https://millardwestcatalyst.com/10919/opinion/the-toxicity-of-beauty-standards/ |access-date=November 21, 2021 |website=The catalyst}}</ref> There was an increase of 759% in botox procedures between 2000 and the late 2010s.<ref name=":141"/>

In an international study of social media apps, photo-based social media apps, predominately Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, were found to have a negative impact on the body image of men more than non-photo-based social media apps.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Griffiths |first1=S |date=2018 |title=The contribution of social media to body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and anabolic steroid use among sexual minority men |journal=Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=149–156 |doi=10.1089/cyber.2017.0375 |pmc=5865626 |pmid=29363993 |s2cid=4763178 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Another study by the Florida Health Experience found that "87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies to images they consume on social and traditional media."<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|title=Link Between Social Media & Body Image|url=https://online.king.edu/news/social-media-and-body-image/|access-date=December 2, 2021|website=King University Online|language=en-US}}</ref> They also found that users felt like they got more positive attention towards their bodies if they altered them in some way.<ref name=":02" /> A study by the [[University of South Australia]] discovered that individuals who frequently uploaded or viewed appearance-related items were more likely to internalize the thin ideal.<ref name=":302" />

Applications, such as Instagram, have become a "body-image battleground",<ref>{{Cite news|last=Friedman|first=Vanessa|date=October 13, 2015|title=Instagram Has Become a Body-Image Battleground|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/fashion/instagram-has-become-a-body-image-battleground.html|access-date=December 3, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> while "selfie" is what individuals use to criticize their bodies and others.<ref name=":292">{{Cite news|title=Here's How Body Image Issues Can Affect You (Even if You Don't Have an Eating Disorder)|publisher=Verily|url=https://verilymag.com/2017/03/body-image-beauty-standards-media|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> Facebook and [[Snapchat]] also allow users to receive appearance approvals and community acceptance through the ratio of views, comments, and likes. Since individuals who use social media platforms often only display the high points of their lives, a survey by [[Common Sense Media]] reported that 22% felt bad if their posts were ignored, or if they did not receive the amount of attention they had hoped for.<ref name=":110">{{Cite news|last=Knorr|first=Caroline|title=How girls use social media to build up, break down self-image|publisher=CNN|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/12/health/girls-social-media-self-image-partner/index.html|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> Instagram is ranked at the most detrimental to mental health according to a study done by the Royal Society for Mental Health.<ref name=":210">{{Cite web|last=RSPH|title=Instagram Ranked Worst for Young People's Mental Health|url=https://www.rsph.org.uk/about-us/news/instagram-ranked-worst-for-young-people-s-mental-health.html|access-date=November 30, 2021|website=www.rsph.org.uk}}</ref> The increased use of body and facial reshaping applications such as Snapchat and [[Facetune]] has been identified as a potential cause of body dysmorphia. Social media apps that have body altering filters contribute to body image issues which most often result in eating disorders and body dysmorphia.<ref name=":37">{{Cite web|title=A Psychiatrist's Perspective on Social Media Algorithms and Mental Health|url=https://hai.stanford.edu/news/psychiatrists-perspective-social-media-algorithms-and-mental-health|access-date=November 30, 2021|website=Stanford HAI|date=September 14, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Recently, a phenomenon referred to as '[[Snapchat dysmorphia]]' has been used to describe people who request surgery to look like the edited versions of themselves as they appear through Snapchat filters.<ref name=":42">{{cite web|title=A new reality for beauty standards: How selfies and filters affect body image|url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/bmc-anr080118.php|access-date=February 4, 2019|website=eurekalert|publisher=the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}}</ref>

Many users digitally manipulate the self-portraits they post to social media. According to research by the Renfrew Center Foundation, 50% of men and 70% of 18 to 35-year-old women edited their images before uploading.<ref name=":312">{{Cite news|last=Ratcliffe|first=Rebecca|date=March 5, 2017|title=Friends' pictures on social media have biggest impact on body image|work=The Observer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/05/friends-pictures-on-social-media-biggest-impact-body-image|access-date=November 1, 2017|issn=0029-7712}}</ref> 35% of respondents were also actively concerned about being tagged in unattractive photos, while 27% fretted about their appearances online.<ref name=":312" />

Reports have also shown that the messages delivered by "fitspiration" websites are sometimes identical to the "thinspiration" or pro-anorexia types.<ref name=":332">{{Cite news|date=May 13, 2016|title=The Unhealthy Truth Behind 'Wellness' and 'Clean Eating'|work=Vice|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/ruby-tandoh-eat-clean-wellness/|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> This is evident through "language inducing [[Guilt (emotion)|guilt]] about weight or the body, and promoted dieting".<ref name=":322">{{Cite news|title=How Social Media Is a Toxic Mirror|magazine=Time|url=https://time.com/4459153/social-media-body-image/|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref> The marketing of restrictive diets to young women as a form of self care can cause "increasingly [[disordered eating]]",<ref name=":322" /> and [[Orthorexia nervosa|orthorexia]], an obsession with the right and wrong types of food.<ref name=":332" />

==== Attempted social media tackling of the issue ====
In an attempt to tackle such issues, the UK launched a national campaign called Be Real, after findings showed 76% of secondary school students who learnt about body confidence in class felt more positive about themselves.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Almost a third of 11-16 year-olds have body image anxiety |url=http://academytoday.co.uk/Article/almost-a-third-of-11-16-year-olds-have-body-image-anxiety |access-date=November 1, 2017 |publisher=Academy Today}}</ref> The stated goal of this movement was to improve body confidence through educational resources provided to schools, and persuading the media, businesses, and the diet industry to endorse different body shapes and sizes instead.<ref name=":312" />

Social media platforms such as Instagram have banned the use of "thinspiration and "thinspo" related hashtags. Other solutions include the promotion of hashtags such as #SelfLove and #BodyPositivity,<ref name=":34">{{Cite news |last=Lanquist |first=Lindsey |title=20 Side-by-Side Photos That Show How Misleading Social Media Can Be |url=https://www.self.com/story/side-by-side-photos |access-date=November 1, 2017 |work=Self}}</ref> and the promotion of "transformation photos", side-by-side images displaying an individual's fitness or weight-loss progress, which users have utilized to showcase the deceptiveness of social media. Eating Disorder Hope launched the Pro-Recovery Movement, a live Twitter chat encouraging sufferers to celebrate self-love and a positive body image, through recovery subject matters.<ref name=":35">{{Cite web |date=October 6, 2016 |title=Positive Uses of Social Media in Body Image Advocacy |url=https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/positive-uses-social-media-body-image-advocacy |access-date=November 1, 2017 |publisher=Eating Disorder Hope}}</ref> [[Project HEAL]] introduced a campaign called #WhatMakesMeBeautiful,<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 22, 2016 |title=#WhatMakesMeBeautiful Campaign With Heal Project |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/clementine-desseaux/what-makes-me-beautiful-heal-project_b_9287398.html |access-date=November 1, 2017 |publisher=HuffPost UK}}</ref> with the stated aim of celebrating admirable attributes other than appearance.<ref name=":35" />

There have been recent demands for social media sites to highlight photos that have been edited and prevent universal publication.<ref name=":36">{{cite news |last1=Leon |first1=Harmon |date=August 15, 2019 |title=The Dark Truth Behind Photo Editing Apps That 'Perfect' Your Appearance |url=https://observer.com/2019/08/photoshop-apps-false-physical-narratives-psychological-effects/ |access-date=March 22, 2021 |website=Observer}}</ref>