We live in a world full of media. We see or use media on a daily basis. Such media would contain television, radio, news and commercial advertising, etc. People are constantly bombarded by the media and it tends to have an influence on individuals. One of the most talked about influences is the media's effect on body image. The media normally shows very thin women and attractive women. According to White, Brown, and Ginsburg (1999), the media tends to use thin women unrealistically. Larger women tend to be left out of ads or don't appear as beautiful as thin women. When women watch TV, for example, and see thin women, they think they should be thin to fit in. They feel like they aren't good enough and may feel bigger than they appear. This can break down a woman's confidence and self-esteem. It can also lead to health problems such as eating disorders, excessive exercise, and even use of supplements to help lose weight. (Do you know this or is it part of the reference above?) Women in general want to feel beautiful, slim and confident. With all the media pressure, this can lead to further problems. According to Harrison and Cantor (1997), women may begin extreme dieting and develop eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa or binge eating. Developing an eating disorder can be very harmful to your health. When someone is diagnosed with an eating disorder it is very difficult for them to accept that they have a problem. This makes the recovery process very difficult. Sometimes people may never recover and this can lead to death. The woman may also start using supplements to lose weight and these can be unhealthy. According to Gentile and Walsh (1999), through the research... the focus of the article... acts as a motivator for the woman in this case. The media contributes to a woman's body image more negatively than positively. The media will always be present. There will always be that person who is negatively influenced by the media. The media has grown so much that it has become a major cause of why women have so much trouble maintaining a healthy weight. It's important not to get caught up in commercials, announcements, emails, radio ads, and even the news. In the long term, your health may be damaged even more than it would have been if you had not been influenced by the thin women found in the media. As people become educated about the benefits of being healthy and the focus shifts more toward health and well-being rather than an emphasis on body image, women may be less susceptible to those advertisements that create the desire to have a certain image..