Because the media portrays both women and men in an unrealistic manner, incredibly thin or lean and overly muscular, people are increasingly becoming more displeased with their bodies, which can lead to lower self-esteem and body satisfaction.  These results of media exposure tend to be more evident in women because the media instills the belief that it is a woman’s job to attract others (Groesz 2).  Female models, for example, weigh 23% less than the average woman (Media and), and this is determined by Body Mass Index (BMI).  BMI is used to determine a healthy weight, and can be skewed because it does not take muscle into account. With thin celebrities, especially models, BMI is an accurate and effective measurement.  It is determined by taking one's weight, dividing it by height in inches twice, then multiplying by 703 (Dibattista 30).  Likewise investigating the effects of the media often solely use women as test subjects.  Studies, such as those conducted by Stice and Shaw (1994), found that “exposing young women to images of thin, attractive models increases body dissatisfaction and other negative feelings (Joshi 333).  When Leora Pinhas conducted an experiment to determine the media’s effects on mood and body dissatisfaction, she used 118 female students\ and concluded that media images have a immediate impact on women's moods (225).  Futhermore, when Ramona Joshi performed a similar experiment testing exposure to thin-body images, she used ninety-two undergraduate female students and deduced that self esteem was lowered after viewing media images (339).  Both tests, however, provided evidence that the media had a negative effect on women, whether it be in mood swings or lowered self esteem.  Because the media directs more of its propaganda towards women, the effects on woman are unmistakable.  These studies, as well as others, determine that  women exhibit lower self-esteem, extreme mood swings, and greater body dissatisfaction as a result of media images.

Surprisingly, women are not the media’s only targets. Recent studies show that males are also affected by the distorted body images projected by the media.  While women are subjected to clothing, food, and diet advertisements, males more often are exposed to exercise and weight lifting advertisements.  The type of ad may be different, but the message is the same: the image seen is most desirable, no matter how unrealistic it may be.  A recent experiment conducted by the University of Central Florida studied the reactions of 158 males to television advertisements containing images of “ideal” (lean and muscular) male body types.  The results of the study indicate that exposure to such unrealistic images have a negative effect on males, such that the males’ muscle dissatisfaction and level of depression increased (Agliata 16).  Exposure to neutral advertising, which do not include male images, resulted in a decrease in depression and no signs of body dissatisfaction in males (Agliata 17).  Similarly, Renée Botta concluded that reading health and fitness magazines, which are geared towards males and emphasize increased muscularity, is linked with a higher risk of eating disorders and steroid abuse (396).  For example, Playgirl centerfolds have become more like the “ideal” male body image in that the models are more muscular and toned, and even toy action figures are equipped with rippling biceps and six packs (Agliata 8).  Though the media has a greater impact on women, its skewed body ideals also affect men.  

            However, some people do not accept the notion that the media is to blame for lower self-esteem, greater body dissatisfaction or even increased eating disorders.  Women’s Health Weekly reports a study stating, “This view seems overly simplistic, however ignoring the fact that women voluntarily expose themselves to thin media images…” (Simplistic 65).  With the growth of the media in the last twenty years, it is impossible for anyone to complete avoid its images.  Furthermore, even people who have minimal exposure to the media can develop aforementioned problems.  Senior Lecturer of Psychology Marika Tiggemann of Flinders University deduced that "total television-viewing time was not related to body dissatisfaction nor drive for thinness” (Tiggemann 202).  Instead, she performed an experiment that concluded that the type of media one is exposed to, not the amount, has a greater effect on the individual.  Moreover, Health and Medicine Week reports, “Brief exposure to thin-ideal media images has been shown to have a…consistent negative impact on women and girls’ body dissatisfaction” (Media Exposure 18).  Because women simply cannot avoid all media images and minimal media exposure can still greatly influence someone, the argument that women “voluntarily expose themselves to thin media images (Simplistic 65) is ineffective and irrelevant.