UK psychiatrists have expressed their concerns regarding the harmful effect of the media on people's body image. They are advocating for the implementation of a new editorial code aimed at preventing the promotion of unhealthily thin body standards and the glamorization of eating disorders.
The Eating Disorders Section of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsychs) asserts that the media should actively display a broader spectrum of body shapes to help people feel positive about their bodies. They also propose the introduction of a kite mark scheme, which would label images that have undergone digital alterations to enhance a model's appearance.
In their call to action, the RCPsychs are urging the government to establish a forum that would bring together representatives from the media, advertisers, experts, eating disorder organizations, regulatory bodies, and politicians. The primary objective of this forum, according to Dr. Adrienne Key, a consultant psychiatrist and RCPsych Eating Disorders Section member, is to collaboratively create an ethical editorial code. This code would address the harmful portrayal of eating disorders, raise awareness of the unrealistic imagery created through airbrushing and digital enhancements, and rectify the distorted content often found in magazines.
Dr. Key emphasizes that there is mounting evidence suggesting that the media plays a role in the development of eating disorder symptoms, particularly among teenagers and young people. She underscores the seriousness of mental illnesses like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and said that "although biological and genetic factors play an important role in the development of these disorders, psychological and social factors are also significant." She added saying that was why the RCPsych was urging the media to shoulder more responsibility for the messages it conveys.
In response, Annabel Brog, the editor of the best-selling teen magazine Sugar, defends her magazine and says her magazine was already acting responsibly and finds the RCPsych's announcement frustrating and disheartening. She challenges anyone to find examples supporting eating disorders in the past three years of her magazine's issues. Brog also expresses skepticism about the practicality of putting a kitemark on images, as digital enhancements are often used to brighten up colors rather than to create perfect appearances.
The RCPsych Eating Disorders Section identifies three primary concerns:
- The portrayal of pre-teen and underweight models in media and advertisements, perpetuating the idealization of a thin body and using airbrushing and digital enhancements to create an unrealistic image of physical perfection.
- Magazine articles offering dieting advice without adequately addressing long-term effectiveness and the risks associated with extreme dieting. Many articles also critique celebrities for their being overweight or underweight, or physically imperfect, creating an unbalanced perspective on what is "normal" and leaving readers dissatisfied with their own bodies.
- Articles that romanticize weight loss and incorrectly represent eating disorders as personal weaknesses or mild disorders rather than recognizing them as severe mental illnesses requiring specialist support.
beat, a leading UK charity supporting individuals with eating disorders and their families, welcomes the RCPsych's initiative. Chief executive Susan Ringwood acknowledges the media's influential power, especially over those vulnerable to eating disorders, and sees the adoption of the RCPsych's recommendations as a significant step toward promoting a more positive influence.
Jo Swinson, a Liberal Democrat member of parliament, is proposing a parliamentary motion in support of the RCPsych's move. She underscores the critical role played by the media in shaping negative body image and contributing to eating disorders.