MEDIA & BODY

IMAGE
 BODY TYPE

3 BROAD CATEGORIES

ECTOMORPH MESOMORPH ENDOMORPH

MUSCULAR & WELL BUILT. HIGH BODY FAT (OFTEN PEAR-

LONG & LEAN, WITH DIFFICULTY
HIGH METABOLISM & RESPONSIVE SHAPED).
BUILDING MUSCLE
MUSCLE CELLS. HIGH TENDENCY TO STORE FAT

MARATHON RUNNER WEIGHTLIFTING RUGBY (FRONT ROW)

 BODY IMAGE

•THOUGHTS, FEELINGS & PERCEPTIONS

ABOUT APPEARANCE.
• PERSONAL EVALUATION OF SELF & OTHERS
• TYPICALLY BASED ON BODY WEIGHT, SIZE,
1 SHAPE & APPEARANCE. 4

2 3
BEHAVIOURAL
PERCEPTUAL
• THE THINGS YOU DO
• THE WAY YOU SEE
IN RELATION TO THE
YOURSELF
AFFECTIVE COGNITIVE WAY YOU LOOK
• THE WAY YOU FEEL • THE THOUGHTS &
ABOUT THE WAY BELIEFS YOU FEEL
YOU LOOK ABOUT YOUR BODY

• PEOPLE WHO FEEL SELF-CONSCIOUS & ANXIOUS ABOUT

APPEARANCE: PREFER TO EXERCISE ALONE & EXPERIENCE
LOWER LEVELS OF SATISFACTION.

• STUDIES HAVE • SPORTS THAN ARE • COACHES, SPONSORS,

• MEN ARE MORE • MALES TEND TO BE
SHOWN THAT JUDGED ON FANS, MEDIA FAMILY &
DISSATISFIED PEERS HAVE A ROLE TO MORE SATISFIED
WOMEN ARE MORE LEANNESS (E.G.:
WITH THINNESS PLAY. NEGATIVE WITH THEIR BODY
DISSATISFIED WITH GYMNASTICS)-
THAN WOMEN. COMMENTS CAN IMAGE THAN
EXCESS WEIGHT HIGHER RATE OF
IMPACT BODY IMAGE FEMALES.
THAN MEN. EATING DISORDERS.
 INFLUENCES OF THE MEDIA

POSITIVE INFLUENCES NEGATIVE INFLUENCES

• CELEBRATE EFFORT & SUCCESS,

INTRUDE ON ATHLETE’S PRIVACY
NOT JUST PHYSICAL STATURE.

• PROMOTE HEALTHY, ACTIVE

UNDERMINE PEOPLE’S CONFIDENCE
LIFESTYLES

• SHOWCASE SPORT’S POSITIVE SHOWCASE NEGATIVE VALUES &

BEHAVIOUR
VALUES

• POSITIVE & INSPIRING ROLE FOCUS ON BODY IMAGE RATHER

THAN SUCCESS
MODELS

• MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO TAKE EDIT IMAGES SO THE MAY BE

INCOMPLETE OR BIASED
PART

• PUBLICISE A VARIETY OF REINFORCE INEQUALITY BY

LIMITING COVERAGE TO
SPORTS, ACTIVITIES, SHAPES & TRADITIONAL SPORTS OR SOCIAL
SIZES. GROUPS.
 MEDIA & BODY IMAGE: THE PERFECT
BODY
• Media has power to shape public beliefs and values.
• It’s portrayal of the ‘perfect body’ is one of the factors responsible for distorted body image
perceptions in both men and women.
• Sport media influences people’s opinions by emphasizing certain aspects of female sport but
ignoring others.
• Manipulates how spectators view women’s sport and impacts public opinion on athletes.
• Media often focuses on sex appeal & femininity over athletic accomplishments.
• Publish altered images that can pressurize girls & boys to look a certain way.
• Portrayal of ‘gender appropriate’ sports.
• Female athletes who conform to society’s expectations of femininity receive greater benefits
than those who do not.
• E.g.: Anna Kournikova: Has never won a major tennis tournament yet receives more in
endorsements than many other higher-ranked tennis players ($50 million net worth in 2018).
 BODY IMAGE & HEALTH
• Media constantly portrays images of what is and what is not deemed attractive
by promoting certain body & beauty standards, making girls who do not meet
these standards feel less confident about playing a sport.
• Lack of body confidence can lead girls to question their physical abilities & result
in higher drop-out rates.
• Media also focuses on the attractiveness of being muscular for males which has
increased pressure on males to meet these body image ‘ideals’.
• Boys are taught from a young age to ‘be a man’, just as much as girls are
bombarded with ‘femininity’.
• Message to boys is that they need to have a tall, toned, muscular physique in
order to be masculine.
• Influences the participation levels across a range of sports, with boys feeling
pressured to opt for more traditionally ‘masculine’ sports and activities.
THE POWER TO BE POSITIVE!
• Media can have a positive impact on sport when the emphasis is on
improving health & wellbeing.
• Studies have shown that women find the lack of focus on health &
fitness discouraging when it comes to participation in physical activity.
• Media that emphasized athletic skill over body image has a much more
positive influence on participation levels of both male and females.
• Promoting athleticism and capabilities, particularly of women, through
physical activity inspires female participation to improve personal
fitness levels.
• Helps combat the emphasis on an unrealistic body image.
Sample Exam Questions
• Drawing upon one physical activity that you have
studied, investigate whether gender stereotypes
are maintained by the media. Suggest two ways
these gender stereotypes could be overcome.
• Define the term ‘body image’.
• Explain how body image can impact both positively
and negatively on a person’s participation levels in
physical activity or sport.
Video
• Listen to Catlin Davis Fisher, a professional soccer
player in Brazil, speak about body image of female
athletes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj-oJqQYQXM

• This video shows men discussing their battle with body

image.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN7F_374dNM