The differences between media images of happy, successful men and women are interesting. The women, with few exceptions, are young and thin. Thin is desirable, (or so they are portrayed). The men are young or older, but the heroes and good guys are strong and powerful in all the areas that matter -- physically, in the business world, and also socially. Many people believe this media stereotyping helps explain why about ninety percent of people with eating disorders are women and only ten percent are men. However, a considerable number of men are also engulfed in the whirlpool of weight management and body sculpting – it is therefore not surprising that a number of men also face such disorders.
In recent years it has become politically correct for the media to make some effort to combat eating disorders. We have seen magazine articles and TV shows featuring the perils and heartbreak of anorexia and bulimia, but these efforts seem weak and ineffective when they are presented in the usual context. For example, how can one believe that a fashion magazine is truly motivated to combat anorexia when their articles about that subject are surrounded by advertisements featuring anorexic-looking models?