1. Mirror Mirror OFF the Wall
A Look at Body Image and Gender Stereotypes
Presentation by Kaitlin Hurley, Kevin Deruosi, Izabela Kaczynska, and Emily Mercer

2. Overview
8:00AM-8:45 AM- Breakfast
8:45AM-10:30- Body Image- How has the media affected the way we view our own bodies and what we consider to be beautiful?
What would Ursula have to say about all of this?
10:30-10:40-Break
10:40-12:10-Body Image-Learn the signs of an unhealthy body image, how we form our own, and the dangers of eating disorders.
12:10-1:10PM -Lunch!
1:10-2:40- Gender Stereotypes-Here we will “THROW” ourselves into the breakdown of gender stereotypes that still exists within
society today
2:40-3:00-Break
3:00-4:30-Gender Stereotypes-What messages do our favorite royal couples send to use throughout their journeys to a happily
ever after?
4:30-5:00-Final Thoughts and Survey

3. What IS body image?
• What you believe about your own appearance (including your
memories, assumptions, and generalizations).
• How you feel about your body, including your height, shape,
and weight.
• How you sense and control your body as you move. How you
feel in your body, not just about your body.

4. Introduction
Why is this topic important?

5. Facts About Body Image
Twenty years ago, models weighed 8%
less than the average woman. Today
they weigh 23% less than the average
woman.

6. Facts About Body Image
The average American woman is 5’4” tall
and weighs 140 pounds. The average
American model is 5’11” tall and weighs
117 pounds.

7. Facts About Body Image
If Barbie was a real woman, she’d have
to walk on all fours due to her
proportions.

8. Facts About Body Image
About 7% of 12th grade males have used
steroids in order to become more
muscular

9. Facts About Body Image
If GI Joe were human, he’d have larger
biceps than any bodybuilder in history

10. Facts About Body Image
1 out of 4 college-aged women has an
eating disorder

11. Facts About Body Image
It is estimated that 40-50% of American
women are trying to lose weight at any
point in time

12. Facts About Body Image
Americans spend more than 40 billion
dollars a year on dieting and diet-related
products. Almost half of all women
smokers smoke because they see it as
the best way to control their weight. Of
these women, 25% will die of a disease
caused by smoking

13. Facts About Body Image
In 2007, there were about 11.7 million
cosmetic procedures performed in the
US. 91% of them were performed on
women.

14. Facts About Body Image
A study found that 53% of 13 year old
American girls are unhappy with their
bodies. This number jumps to 78% by
the time they reach 17.

15. Now Let’s Hear From a Model
Cameron Russell admits she won "a genetic lottery": she's tall, pretty and an
underwear model. But don't judge her by her looks. In this fearless talk, she
takes a look at the industry that had her looking highly seductive at barely 16-
years-old.
Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model

16. Back in the Day...

18. Fast Forward to Today...

19. Do you see a difference?

20. 5 Minutes of What the Media
Actually Does to Women

21. It Starts Early
Let’s Take a Look at Disney
Notice anything?

22. What the Princesses Would Look Like
With Realistic Waistlines

25. Disney’s Ursula Gets Slimmed Down For The New 'Designer
Collection'

26. The Best Body Image Exercise EVER

27. Break Time!

29. Why is a positive body image
important?
Body Image Pressures, Looking At Myself & Survival Tips

30. Discussion Time!

31. Eating Disorders
• As many as 10 million females have an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.
• Bulimia is more common than anorexia, but anorexia has a higher mortality rate.
• Men and women can both suffer.
• Eating disorders usually begin at a young age.
• They typically peak at 14 and 18 years old

32. Anorexia Nervosa:
• Refusal to maintain weight within a normal range for height and age (less than 85
percent of expected body weight).
• Intense and irrational fear of weight gain despite being underweight.
• Severe body image disturbance in which body image is the predominant measure
of self-worth

33. Anorexia Nervosa:
There are two subtypes of anorexia nervosa:
– restricting and binge eating/purging.
• People with the restricting subtype restrict their food intake to lose weight.
• People with the binge/purge Anorexia engage in binge eating or purging behavior
(e.g. vomiting, laxatives).
• Either subtype may also use compulsive exercise to reduce their weight.
• So, someone with anorexia may induce vomiting and still be considered anorexic
(NOT bulimic) if they are 15 percent below ideal body weight.

34. Bulimia Nervosa
• Recurrent episodes of binge eating accompanied by a feeling of a lack of control.
• Repeated behaviors to make up for eating normal or increased amounts of food to
prevent weight gain (vomiting, laxatives, fasting, excessive exercising).
• Intense dissatisfaction with body shape and weight

35. Bulimia Nervosa
There are two subtypes of bulimia nervosa:
- purging and non-purging
• In the purging type, the person regularly engages in self-induced vomiting or
misuses laxatives/diuretics.
• In the non-purging type, the person uses other strategies such as excessive
exercise or fasting.

36. Complications of Eating Disorders
• Bone Thinning (resulting in easy or multiple fractures)
• Slowed growth
• Heart problems (slow heart rate, low blood pressure, heart beat irregularities)
• Abdominal problems (nausea, bloating, constipation)
• Dry skin, brittle hair and nails
• Growth of fine hair all over body
• Abnormal salts in the body
• Dental erosion and enlarged salivary glands
• Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus from frequent vomiting
• Infertility with amenorrhea (no period) (seen with anorexia)
• Liver and kidney problems
• Low body temperature
• Seizures
• Early death

37. As Peer Advisor, you may be able to play a role in helping a student who has, or is
developing, an eating disorder.
Always Remember: If you have concerns about a student’s behavior, mental or physical
health:
Talk about those concerns with your supervisor IMMEDIATELY

38. WARNING SIGNS:The following are possible warning signs of anorexia and bulimia:
• Unnatural concern about body weight (even if the person is not overweight)
• Dramatic weight loss in a relatively short amount of time (anorexia)
• Obsession with calories, fat grams and food
• Use of any medicines to keep from gaining weight (diet pills, laxatives, water pills)
• Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food.
• Excessive, rigid exercise regimen--despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, the need to “burn off” calories.
• Withdrawal from usual friends and activities
• Evidence of binge eating (disappearance of large amounts of food, empty wrappers and containers)
• Evidence of purging behaviors, including frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or smells of
vomiting, presence of wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics
• Calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self-induced vomiting
• Discoloration or staining of the teeth

39. Quick Recap
Eating and Body Dysmorphic Disorders: Crash Course Psychology

40. For More Information & Resources
On Campus:
● Counseling and Health Services
Ellison Campus Center 978.542.6410
Off Campus:
• North Shore Medical Center - Salem Hospital
(978.741.1215
81 Highland Avenue
Salem, MA 01970
• Walden Behavioral Care 978.531.2904
2 Corporation Way,
Suite 260 Peabody, MA 01960
Information:
National Eating Disorders Association
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
The National Eating Disorder Information Centre
(NEDIC)
www.nedic.ca
Eating Disorders Hope
www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/anorexia
/college-university-students

41. That was a bit heavy… lets take a break
Breathe....

43. Gender Stereotypes

44. Definition
• Gender stereotypes are simplistic generalizations about the
gender attributes, differences, and roles of individuals and/or
groups. Stereotypes can be positive or negative, but they
rarely communicate accurate information about others.
When people automatically apply gender assumptions to
others regardless of evidence to the contrary, they are
perpetuating gender stereotyping

46. Female Stereotypes
• Traditionally, the female stereotypic
role is to marry and have children.
She is also to put her family's welfare
before her own; be loving,
compassionate, caring, nurturing,
and sympathetic; and find time to be
sexy and feel beautiful.

47. Male Stereotypes
• The male stereotypic role is to be the
financial provider. He is also to be
assertive, competitive, independent,
courageous, and career‐focused;
hold his emotions in check; and
always initiate sex.

48. In the advertisements

49. In the media

50. “Act like a man/Be ladylike” Activity

51. Discussion
• What happens when a woman behaves in ways traditionally
thought of as “male”? What about a man who behaves in
ways traditionally thought of as “females”?
• What message would you give to young girl about being
female today. To a young boy?

53. AS TOLD BY PRINCE CHARMING AND HIS PRINCESSES…

54. DISNEY FAIRYTALES…
Think back to the stories of Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine,
Sleeping Beauty, etc.
What impressions did those stories leave on you?
Do you feel that the stories of those characters represent real life to a
certain degree?

55. If YOU could be any Disney
Character, which would you
choose, and why?

56. Group 1: Sleeping Beauty
Group 2: Aladdin
Group 3: Snow White
Group 4: Cinderella
Group 5: The Little Mermaid
BREAK INTO GROUPS (GROUPS OF 5)

57. COMMON THEMES OF THE STORIES?

58. GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

59. WHAT DISNEY MOVIES REALLY TEACH US

60. And They Lived Happily Ever
After