The Targeting of Women in the Advertising and Weight-Loss Industries

The Targeting of Women in the Advertising and Weight-Loss Industries

Miniaci Performing Arts Center

“The most powerful diet pill ever discovered! No diet or workout required. The secret weight-loss pill behind Fitness models, Show Biz and Entertainment professionals! No prescription required to order” (USFTC 14).

There is an ever-increasing desire to be thin among women in the United States. Why is this? Advertising is one of the primary reasons pencil thin women have become the ideal. Previous to the depiction of women as extremely thin, full figured women were the sign of health, beauty, and status. Now that the advertising industry has chosen these images to portray success and attractiveness, the weight loss industry reaps the benefits. According to the United States Federal Trade Commission, Americans invest over $30 billion a year in weight loss products and services. The pressure to be thin also leads to psychological problems and eating disorders, which can be deadly. The advertising and weight loss industries need to be reformed by policies that will enforce truth about the products and programs they are selling and consider the consequences of portraying unhealthily thin models.