Health Images and Media:

Notes from Communicating about Health, du Pre’-- and others

Media Literacy:  Media literacy refers to awareness and skills that allow a person to evaluate media content in terms of what is realistic and useful. Advertisers often highlight or exaggerate the attractive aspects of their project but downplay the negative aspects. Media literate individuals are apt to understand the advertisers intent and to try to figure out what is not being said and why. They are also likely to be skilled at identifying portrayals that are unrealistic or have been enhanced by special effects.

People can be taught to be media literate. Du Pre’ provides three stages for doing so:

Informative Stage: Teach students to identify different types of media (television, radio, newspaper, etc.) and the types of messages (persuasive, informative, and entertaining). Discuss the strengths and weakness of various media. For example, internet sources may be the most accessible but may not be as trustworthy.

Analytic Stage/Deconstruction: Deconstructing involves breaking a message down into its specific parts such as key points, purpose, implied messages, production techniques, and goals. For example, commercials for diet bars may depict them as a tasty way to lose weight without going hungry. A typical ad may show before and after shots of someone who has lost weight. Testimonial may be given on how great the diet bars taste. The colors may be rich and full-bodied in order to stimulate the appetite. At the very bottom of the ad in small print there may be a disclaimer which states that results are best achieved in combination with a well-balanced diet and exercise. However, the reality of the product may be that they do not taste well, leave you hungry and will only work in conjunction with diet/exercise.

Experiential Stage: Students are challenged to write their own stories, design ads, perform skits, etc. in an effort to demystify the way media messages are constructed.

Body Images:

Often media is blamed as contributing to unrealistic health/body standards which in turn may lead to negative health behaviors such as starving oneself, binging and purging, overusing laxatives and diuretics, steroid use, etc. Here is a quote from the du Pre’ text:

Media images affect how we regard our bodies. For most people, it would be difficult and unhealthy to have a fashion model physique. Although the average American woman wears a size 12, the average fashion model wears a size 0 or 2 (Betts, 2002). And even they feel fat. Some 73% of female models are underweight by medical standards, but most of them wish they could be 20% thinner (“Models “R” Us, 1992). Advertisers are accused of establishing unrealistic standards for attractiveness, then raking in profits as people strive to measure up (Martin & Gentry, 1997).

Two-thirds men and 1/3 women are unhappy with their weight.

Over 8 million Americans have eating disorders and 90% of those are female.

Steroid use to become more muscular and athletic is an increasing problem. Over one million Americans have used steroids (1/2 of them are adolescents). Steroid use can lead to cardiovascular disease, liver damage, hair loss, sterility, aggressiveness, etc.

Why would people engage in unhealthy behaviors such as binging and purging or steroid use? The answer is that they hope to obtain the same look as models/athletes. However, as Jean Kilbourne stated in the film we watched, no one looks like models . . . not even model themselves. For example, photos are edited to conceal flaws and enhance beauty. In movies, several models may be secretly substituted for an actress to depict perfect legs, hands, etc. For this reason, Kilbourne recommended that consumers be taught to be critical viewers of media and media literate.

Alcohol:

According to your text, one study of prime time programs found that alcoholic beverages are shown more than any other drink. Often beer and liquor companies are criticized for glamorizing alcohol consumption which may lead to irresponsible drinking behavior.  An example of glamorizing alcohol consumption would be beer commercials which depict beautiful women, fun-loving friends, and exotic locales. It is interesting to note that by third grade, children know a great deal about alcoholic beverages by what they have seen on TV, according to your text. Furthermore, children who are able to link certain brands with certain types are alcohol are more likely than others to try alcohol. However, according to sociologist, Dr. David J. Hansen’s website, in one study, 62 % of American youth aged 12 to 17 identified their parent as the leading influence on their drinking behavior. Twenty eight percent mentioned best-friends, 9 % mentioned teachers, 7 % mentioned what they saw on television and 4 % mentioned what they saw in ads. Dr. Hansen further stated that there is no evidence to conclude that alcohol advertising leads to alcohol abuse or even consumption. According to Hansen, the purpose of alcohol advertising is to increase market share and create brand loyalty.

Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTC)/Drug Ad Guidelines:

Selling drug directly to consumers via the mass media is called direct-to-consumer (DCT) advertising. In 1985, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that pharmaceutical companies may advertise their drugs to the public but must follow anti-deception regulations. For example, the FDA has stated that if ads present benefits of the drug, they must present potentially harmful information as well.  By the same token, a pharmaceutical ad that makes no positive claims, need not present negative information. Consequently, you may see ads that just feature the product name and are told to ask your doctor about the product. Reaction to DTC advertising is mixed.

 Some advantages include of DTC ads include:

·         Ads may make people aware of health options by describing potential remedies for conditions and illnesses such as indigestion, asthma, allergies, depression, etc.,

·         Competition among drug companies spurs product development and innovation which may offer relief and cures to consumers.

 Some disadvantages of DTC ads include:

·         Advertising increases the costs of drugs.

·         People may believe that “designer” drugs are best and that virtually every condition can be cured.

The FDA has issued updated guidelines for drug ads, although it is important to note that the FDA has limited power over drug companies.

Below are some FDA recommendations that were proposed in 2002:

·         Companies should use laymen’s terms, not medical jargon in their ads. For example, a drug maker should not say, “contraindicated” but should instead say, “do not use.”

·         Use bigger type. Some of today’s ad warnings require a magnifying glass to read them.

·         Put the most common risks and the most potentially lifesaving information first.

·         Instead of making readers turn the page to find warnings, the guidelines suggest that drug makers put the warnings in the ad.

Media Theories: Several theories may help explain the effect of media expose on health beliefs and behavior. Below are some major mass communication theories regarding audience effects.

Strong Effects: The Magic Bullet Theory (a.k.a Hypodermic Needle) states that the influence of media is direct, immediate, and powerful. The theory was generated in response to what was happening in Nazi Germany where the Nazi Party monopolized media outlets and used them as a vehicle for propaganda. Strong effects models eventually gave way to limited effects models.

Limited Effects: Two Step Flow of Communication: The two step flow of communication model states that media influence is not as direct as the magic bullet theory would suggest. In fact, according to this theory, media influence is mitigated by interpersonal influence. In other words, informal, personal contacts may have more or just as much influence on behavior. ‘Opinion leaders’ may filter the influence of mass media messages. For example, if your mother believes depression is all in one’s mind and is not a real illness, you may believe the same way and thus be less receptive to ads for anti-depressants. Moreover, your text discusses “parental mediation” whereby adults help children to become aware of inaccuracies and discrepancies in media messages. This would a further example of how interpersonal communication filters media messages.

Cultivation Theory: Cultivation theory states that media cultivates a certain “world view” and influences our perceptions of what is considered normal and what is not. In other words, people tend to perceive what they see on television as realistic. This effect is most pronounced if: media images are highly consistent (e.g., people watch LOTS of crime scene shows and are thus exposed to the same images over an over); people are exposed to large amounts of media (e.g., they are heavy television viewers); have a limited basis for what they see and hear (e.g., children do not have as many experiences as adults to and therefore would be less likely to perceive whether or not what they see on television is realistic). For example, beer commercials associate beer with attractive people having a good time and thus we may come to believe beer = fun.

Social Comparison Theory: Social comparison theory states that people judge themselves in comparison to other people. For example, boys may judge their masculinity or attractiveness based on images of athletes and images in magazines like Men’s Health. Again, such images may be unrealistic and may lead to negative health behaviors as people attempt to achieve the same look.

Social Learning Theory: Social learning theory states that learning takes place thorough watching other people engaged in various behaviors. For example, people may learn such things as how to behave at parties, what is “cool” or not “cool,” etc. and attempt to enact these behaviors, whether they are healthy and realistic or not. Thus, if glamorous actors and actresses smoke and drink alcohol in popular movies, we may wish to emulate them because we also want to be glamorous.

This website is maintained by Marceline Thompson Hayes, mhayes@astate.edu

This page last updated August 21, 2007

Arkansas State University