GET REAL! Toolkit • Talk Back to Media
Letter Writing Guidelines
Get REAL! about body image
Guidelines: Everywhere we turn, advertisers bombard us
with messages about our bodies. Most ads
attempt to sell us ways to achieve picture-
perfect thin or muscular body “ideals” that can
have a powerful effect on how we see ourselves
and feel about our bodies – even leading to
unhealthy eating and exercise habits to try
to conform to this unrealistic body standard.
Few ads promote positive body messages that
reinforce a diversity of body shapes and sizes,
body acceptance, and healthy lifestyle choices.
Select an ad.
How can we combat body-negative messages
and support body-positive ones? One way is to
talk back to advertisers about the messages
they send to consumers. Voice your concern by
writing a letter to either compliment advertisers
that promote positive body image or criticize
advertisers that foster negative body image to
sell products.
In your letter, let advertisers know how you feel
about the body ideal represented in the ad, what
you like and don’t like about the techniques
they use and the message they promote, and
what you plan to do about it. Tell them whether
you will stop purchasing a product because of
its negative body image or endorse a product
because of its positive image.
Remember: You are a consumer with buying
power! Use your economic clout to voice your
opinion and your social networking capital
to create buzz and spread the word to family,
friends, and social media followers!
Select a recent advertisement concerning body
image that you think is praise-worthy or protest-
worthy. • Choose the ad from any print, broadcast or
online media outlet – magazine, TV show,
billboard, website, social media, app, etc.
• Don’t limit your selection to ads for fashion,
cosmetics and grooming. Messages about
body image can be found in ads for food,
vitamins, tech gadgets, cars, travel, furniture
– virtually any type of product.
Analyze the ad.
• What is the message about body image?
Examine what the ad actually says about
body image. The best way to do this is to
think of the ad as telling a story that you
need to interpret. Some advertisers use a
straightforward approach and feature the
human body, often sexually objectified, while
others more subtly embed the message in the
image or text, sometimes without the human
form. Ask yourself: Is the human form visually
depicted in the ad or is there an underlying
message about body image in the text or
image? Does the message make you feel that
you need to look like the model or celebrity
in the ad to be attractive, popular, happy or
successful? Does the ad make you worry
about a problem that can be solved by using
the product? Does it claim that the product
can improve your appearance or reshape
your body? Does it boast that the product is
Get REAL! about Media and Body Image | California State University, Northrdige | National Eating Disorders Association