This article, presented by Deakin University, explores the idea that women don’t always have a negative view on their body image. Dr. Chung of Deakin University is researching the idea that those women who have positive outlooks on their body image lead a positive lifestyle and are more optimistic about their life choices. Chung explains that this positive mind-state is brought upon by women leading healthy lifestyles and the attaining their goals. Dr. Chung has found that women’s emotional outlook is more affected by their physical health rather than appearance. She has also found that 1/3 of the studied women were affected positively by their body image, 1/3 were affected negatively, and 1/3 were neutral. However, do you agree with her theory with all of today’s social media and advertisements pushing an unrealistic body image upon Americans?
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-body-image-women-wellbeing.html
I agree with one of the opening statements in the article that talks about how it is almost normal for women to have negative views of their bodies. I think everyone deals with things that make them feel down about how they look; but I think this article is looking more specifically at women's lifestyles of dealing with how they look. I agree that it becomes more easy for women to have a more positive state of mind when in good physical health, but to answer the question of how this agrees with all the surrounding media, i think there is a drive to reach the impossible. For someone that may keep a healthy diet and get exercise to stay in good physical shape, they may also feel like they're not living to the surrounding standards of multiple other factors. But I feel like the results of her study give a pretty good idea of how it really is; not everyone is positively impacted but their body image.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, Julie. You mentioned how the research looks more into the lifestyle when studying how the body is viewed. Lifestyle is a great word to use, because it incorporates factors such as relationships and physical activity, which are alternative views that can affect the outlook a woman has on her body as opposed to just her mirror image.
DeleteI agree with you also that it’s normal for women to have negative views of their bodies. There are so many influences that result in that kind of state of mind such as our relationships, family, the media, and societal trends. There are people who have a positive outlook on their body image; however, I feel that some of those people may not be in a good place health or mental wise. For instance, some may practice unhealthy dieting or have received some sort of plastic surgery.
DeleteI think Dr.Chung brings up a good point, although I believe it may be an obvious one. Clearly if someone is happier with aspects of his or her life then that person will be generally happier. For example, if you wake up in the morning knowing you have to clean all day rather than waking up knowing you get to chill all day, your mood will be drastically different. I do think it's good for women to be comfortable with their bodies though and hopefully this becomes a more common trend.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Ryan, you are what you think. If you truly believe in yourself and
Deletehave faith in yourself then you should never have to worry about what others think.
I agree with what you said Ryan. Not everyone thinks negatively of his or her body. Many of us may not like this or that about ourselves, but we can’t change it and can only accept it and embrace it. I like this study because too often do we see the negative side of how people feel, when not everyone views himself or herself negatively.
DeleteI do agree with you Ryan; I think from how this article is described, it seems like Dr. Chung is reporting evidence that is evident. It seems logical that women that live healthy lifestyles and have positive feedback with that, then that would make them happy. I thought the same with her results. It seems like there is an even split among people who think positively, negatively, and are neutral. It almost seems redundant in her results, what is she trying to prove?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Julie. When reading this article, I thought that Dr. Chung's argument is true. I agree with Ryan on how if someone has a positive body image, then they have a positive life. However, Dr. Chung then brings up that statistic of 1/3 of those women had positive lives, 1/3 had neutral lives, and 1/3 had negative lives. This is not really proving his argument, in fact it contradicts it. It makes no sense, but I feel like adding this piece of information make Dr.Chung a tad more reliable because he states all the facts and not just the ones that help provide his claim.
DeleteI agree with Ryan, that if somebody is happy with their body, they are more likely to live a happy life. I also agree with Julie, that the statistics really prove nothing, because they are split completely down the middle and do not prove either side well at all.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is interesting how the article also mentions that people who have healthy friendships and dating feel better about themselves. This shows that outside forces also play into personal images, because maybe having loving support can make somebody generally happier and less concerned with having a perfect body.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Betsy. The article does a good job of showing that people dont only look at their images in a physical way. It points out that there are several other forces that play roles in how and why people view themselves in a certain way. Many people view themselves in a certain way because that is how others have made them out to be. The article emphasizes this and goes on to elaborate on how not all women view themselves in a negative way.
DeleteI feel like the truly healthy people are the people (women in the case of this article) who workout and maintain their shape for their own happiness, purposes. The people who "workout" for other reasons like media pressure will do it in an unhealthy way, will gain all the weight back after they lose some fast and will never be happy with themselves even if they go down to their target weight.
ReplyDeleteLike what diet experts say, it should be a lifestyle change not a 1 week starve binge.
Weight loss is weeks and months not hours and days.
Great point, Nik. People shouldn't base their happiness off of the people around them. If you want to work out to live a healthy life, you should. BUT, if you're trying to compete with the models in today's advertisements, it is going to be a never-ending struggle.
DeleteI would have to agree with Nick. People who work out, or do anything for that matter, to please other people's opinions will never be satisfied with themselves. It's a road that leads disappoint, bad self esteem, and poor body image.
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ReplyDeleteLooking at the website, it seems as though this article has a lot of valuable content. There are not any pictures or words used to get viewers; it rather serves as an informational read geared towards someone wondering about the relation between weight and self-esteem.
ReplyDeleteAs for the article, it presents some useful information on how women view their bodies. Most believe it all has to do with body image, but this read sheds some new light on how that theory may not always be right. The author used a reliable doctor in the research, so this could certainly be used to teach others on the various ways in which women view their body images.
I agree with your statement Adam that the source is purely informational. The interface is relatively plain and there aren’t any pictures that pertain to the information presented in the article. I also agree that the article provides useful information on how women view their bodies. It provides a unique perspective that varies significantly from the typical views on body image. I like how the article sheds positive light on body image.
DeleteThis article seems reputable and trustworthy, and I thought it brought up some interesting points. The studies regarding the association of body image and attitudes towards oneself brings up a few interesting points.
ReplyDeleteThe study says that it is normal for women to be dissatisfied with their bodies. I think this statement says a lot and highlights the root of the problem. The question that needs to be addressed in this article is WHY are they dissatisfied with their bodies and what led them to this attitude. It is understandable that ones body image correlates to ones sense of well being, but I believe that women need to learn how to more comfortable with themselves than constantly trying ways to change who they are. Changing their attitude towards themselves could possibly help stop situations like eating disorders.
I completely agree with Dr. Chung's theory. Nowadays, with commercials, billboards, and any other types of ads out there, people put themselves on a pedestal with the gorgeous models in these ads. It makes them say " I wish I could be like that," and in return it probably has an effect on self esteem and maintaining a positive outlook.
ReplyDeleteRachel Chung's article appears to be a very legitimate source in terms of factual evidence, supports behind reasoning, and the website to which the article was posted. Even without research, however, it can be commonly predicted that someone who looks down on him- or herself may have a worse day versus someone who feels good about their image. Although there are not many implicit messages behind the text, it is apparent that body image is a large factor in a woman's life. The majority of the population has been mislead to believe that everyone is dissatisfied with their bodies, and such cultural prominence is due mainly to advertising of such attitudes. However, the fact that about 200 women have already completed Chung's survey proves that body image is an important aspect of a woman's life, and that women have accepted that. It is comforting to see that there is a more balanced representation of those who are satisfied, neutral, and dissatisfied with their bodies [compared to a negatively opinionated majority].
ReplyDeleteOne thing I'd like to point out is that you guys are commenting a lot on whether or not Dr. Chung's theory is right. What about whether or not this is the only theory? How many of you believe that this way of thinking of "staying positive" is more common in women today then solely comparing themselves to todays media?
ReplyDeleteIan points out a good argument. Is one's body the only key to happiness? Is it really the root of all happiness like this article may be suggesting? If body image is taken out of the question, what other key things play into one's happiness in life?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that was emphasized in this article, was that Dr. Chung was doing something that was unpopular. It is unpopular because most people and articles talk about the negative body images. I think the reason there are more articles about the negative body image compared to positive is because there are more people with negative body images.
ReplyDeleteI feel that not all people have to be completely healthy to love their bodies. Now a day people embrace being bigger than what models on the runway are, by calling themselves “phat.” Just because you’re not the “perfect size” to whom ever that makes it up doesn’t mean you don’t like your body. Someone that’s super skinny is looked down upon as being too skinny, while someone bigger is looked down upon as being too big. It varies person to person on their perspective of beauty. The research showed that many people are happy with their bodies. Whether your healthy or not it’s whether you let the world determine your happiness or you just being happy with yourself.
ReplyDeleteRachel Chung’s credibility is established within the first paragraph of the article. She is a reliable and credible source because she is conducting research for Deakin University’s school of Psychology. Readers can trust her story since she is sampling a certain group of people, females between 18 and 76, and has a pretty decent sample size that still seems to be growing. By doing this research, you can infer that Ms. Chung feels that body image does have some sort of impact on a person’s wellbeing.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I also agree that media is pushing an unrealistic body image. Media is constantly depicting thinner people within their films and advertisements. This creates the idea that today’s ideal image is someone who has the perfect thin body, which usually is impossible for most average people. A constant want to be thinner usually leads to body dissatisfaction and, as shown in this article, a low self-esteem and eating disorders. I believe that media is partially to blame for the one third who’s body image causes a negative impact on their emotional state.
I also found what Betsy discovered in the article, that having healthy relationships also impacts how one feels about themselves, to be interesting. This could mean that people who have solid relationships feel more stable about who they are. They know that no matter what they look like or who they are, the people who they are close with will always be there for them. They are not constantly concerned if they are being judge for the way they look. Having healthy relationships could lead one to be less concerned about what they look like and therefore have a better body image about themselves and feel more positive about their emotional state.
ReplyDeleteI think if someone feels confident about themselves in general, they feel that other people will view them the same way they view themselves. I feel that body image does play a role, but its not the only thing determining a positive or negative lifestyle. Any thoughts on this?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I believe body image can play a role, but it is not the only thing that determines a positive or negative lifestyle. Somebody can be confident because of their career, relationship, or even family and may not have the most fortunate body image.
DeleteI agree with this, although i think body image does play a big role in how happy you are with yourself, there are many other factors to consider. Factors such as a good family, career, and relationships with other people can outweigh body image in how happy people are with themselves and their lives.
DeleteRachel Chung uses ethos to convey her purpose. As a student at Deakin's School of Psychology, she has a strong background in psychology. She is also completing doctoral research, insinuating that she has acquired an in-depth knowledge about her line of research. Chung, someone who is knowledgeable, achieves her purpose which is to persuade the audience that body image doesn't necessarily have a negative connotation.
ReplyDeleteRachel Chung makes some great points about women and how they feel about their body image. It is only natural that a women with a positive body image is going to me much more confident and upbeat then a women with a negative body image. But sometimes body image is not everything. A women can be plenty confident with a successful career and happy family. Body image is not everything and a positive one is not demanded to be happy.
ReplyDeleteI think that being comfortable with your body is a huge issue. If you don’t feel good about and be comfortable with your body, then it is hard to have a positive attitude. You’re also not as confident around other people if you can’t be comfortable with your body. In general though I feel like if you’re comfortable with your body, you are a happier person in general because its one less thing you stress over. If you’re not comfortable with yourself, then that’s something that’s always in the back of your mind that you’re always thinking about.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Betsy's comment. The article focuses on body image's affect on happiness, and yet there are so many other factors in everyday life that have a larger impact on happiness. Why do people let body image become a main influence in overall satisfaction in life? Maybe those with a positive outlook are more aware of their relationships with others, their personality, etc.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, we have read articles in class discussing how the preoccupation with body image started and has continued to grow in the U.S. The focus on body image is too prevalent in everyday life not to affect people’s overall satisfaction in life. Everywhere we turn we are surrounded by advertisements of diet plans, thin models, and exercising. It is part of our human inclination to continuously compare ourselves to what is around us.
DeleteIn this article, ethos is a prominent use of persuasion. The author states that Rachel Chung conducted this experiment as part of her doctoral research. She is also affiliated with Deakin’s School of Psychology. These facts make readers believe in the authors claims, and less likely to question the results that were retrieved from the study. The article largely appeals to women especially those who are preoccupied with their body image. This article will persuade them to change how they feel about their bodies to further enhance their well-being.
ReplyDeleteThe author’s ethos is clearly present through the article because she references Rachel Chung from the Deakin’s School of Psychology. While we are given little knowledge regarding the identity of the author, we are told the information is provided by Deakin University who is sponsoring the project. We know that Rachel Chung is conducting doctoral research giving her substantial credibility. She has the educational background and experience to be considered trustworthy and credible. While the credibility of the source itself isn’t overtly noted, we can assume it is reliable because it summarizes the work of an educated professional in the psychological field.
ReplyDeleteThe article doesn't really make any statement at all from what I can see. The author tries to make this point that having a positive body image can help the outlook that person has on life. However, at the end of the article, the author concludes with the results from the experiment and basically seems to say that the way a person looks at themselves can work both ways and doesn't mean that liking the way your body looks leads to a better outlook on life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you, Betsy and Ryan. If a person is satisfied with their body image then they will be happier and more comfortable in life. Their does have to be a line drawn though when a person’s health is put at risk because of their body image. Hopefully in the future all people, women especially, will be able to be more easily satisfied with their appearance.
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