Pressure to Look Perfect Drives Girls to Destructive Behavior
02 Oktober 2007 - 3:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Dove(R) and Hollywood Team Up to Give Girls a Reality Check About
What Goes on Behind-the-Scenes GREENWICH, Conn., Oct. 2
/PRNewswire/ -- Girls today are fixating on their flaws, causing
them to belittle themselves and even take destructive action. The
onslaught of messages and images they constantly receive sets an
unrealistic standard of beauty. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty
is partnering with the entertainment industry to address this issue
by giving girls a reality check educating them about what images
are real versus Hollywood magic. This global program is especially
relevant as girls today are measuring themselves against impossible
beauty ideals. The new campaign was developed to help girls realize
what they see in movies and magazines represents an unrealistic
standard of beauty, not an everyday achievable look. As part of its
commitment to build self-esteem in girls, the Dove Self-Esteem Fund
is sponsoring self-esteem building workshops with inspirational
celebrities and new online tools in an effort to educate moms,
mentors and girls. The program also features "Onslaught," an
attention- grabbing viral film that dramatizes the barrage of
images and messages girls constantly face. As with all Dove
Campaigns, the impetus for the program is grounded in startling new
research about the factors that influence girls' body image. Girls
Fixate on Flaws, Self-Esteem Suffers According to a recent survey
conducted by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund and Seventeen magazine, more
than four in 10 girls and young women only see their flaws when
they look in the mirror. This is not surprising considering more
than half of girls and young women say they get ideas for the way
they want their bodies to look from celebrities and media, and 56
percent of girls and young women believe celebrities tend to have
perfect bodies. "Girls are increasingly looking to celebrities as
their role models because they are widely celebrated in media and
society," commented Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., licensed psychologist
and distinguished scholar for the Partnership for Women's Health at
Columbia University. "Girls take away the message that these images
represent a societal norm, and as a result punish themselves for
not living up to impossible beauty ideals. The cycle continues to
intensify as these perceived flawless images further inundate their
world in overwhelming quantities." Images Surround Girls Girls are
being besieged with all types of media in nearly every corner of
their lives: * The average person sees between 400 and 600
advertisements per day(1) - equivalent to more than one message for
every waking minute. * The average US girl has the opportunity to
see an estimated 77,546 commercials by the time she is 12 years
old.(2) This growing phenomenon is having a direct impact on girls'
self-image and even causing some to engage in destructive behavior.
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund/Seventeen Body Image Survey also
revealed: * 93 percent of girls and young women report feeling
anxiety or stress about some aspect of their looks when getting
ready in the morning * This could explain why more than 70 percent
of girls and young women avoid activities when they feel bad about
their looks including giving their opinion, attending school and
even going to the doctor.(3) * 76 percent of girls and young women
admit to partaking in unhealthy activities when they feel badly
about their bodies * 58 percent of girls describe themselves in
negative terms, including words like "disgusting" and "ugly," when
feeling badly about themselves. * Nearly four out of 10 engage in
unhealthy eating behaviors, such as anorexia or bulimia. * More
than one out of 10 girls has used cutting or self-inflicted injury
as a coping mechanism. "Girls today are exposed to more messages
from Hollywood and the media than past generations which can impact
their self-esteem," said Jessica Weiner, self-esteem expert and
global ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. "Mothers, mentors
and friends can help change girls' perceptions with positive,
self-esteem building discussions and activities." Hollywood Takes
Action The Dove Self-Esteem Fund is partnering with Step Up Women's
Network, a national non-profit membership organization dedicated to
strengthening community resources for women and girls, to help
girls recognize their own unique beauty. Together, they will
conduct self-esteem building workshops giving girls a reality check
to distinguish what is real versus Hollywood magic and hopefully
inspiring girls to think about their beauty role models in a new
way. During these events, celebrities and self-esteem experts
reveal secrets about the armies of stylists, makeup artists,
photographers, and staging and computer technicians
behind-the-scenes who produce the big screen and cover shots.
Jessica Weiner will lead each session and offer advice about
interpreting the multitude of messages. Notable female celebrities
are volunteering their time with the Dove Self-Esteem Fund to speak
with girls and share their personal perspectives. "We all have a
responsibility as marketers, educators, mentors and role models, to
change the way we communicate with girls. The entertainment
industry can be a powerful partner in educating girls," said Kathy
O'Brien, marketing director for Dove. "We may not be able to
decrease the number of messages girls receive, but we can educate
girls about how they perceive them." The Dove Self-Esteem Fund set
a new goal to reach 5 million girls globally by 2010 with
self-esteem building programming. It has several online resources
that educate girls about Hollywood and media imagery as well as
foster the development of self-esteem. Moms, mentors and girls
should visit campaignforrealbeauty.com to utilize new self-esteem
building tools, view behind-the-scenes footage from the Dove
Self-Esteem Fund/Step Up workshops, talk to experts and watch
"Onslaught." Visitors will also soon have the opportunity to get an
inside look at how real girls deal with self-esteem issues in their
daily lives. About the Dove Self-Esteem Fund/Seventeen Body Image
Survey StrategyOne, an applied-research consulting firm, conducted
a nationally representative online survey among 1,014 girls and
women ages 13-22 in the US to better understand the factors that
impact their body image. The survey, which has a margin of error of
plus or minus 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level, was
conducted using the online field services of Harris Interactive.
Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. (Harvard University) and Ann Kearney-Cooke,
Ph.D. (Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute), Dove Self-Esteem Fund
Advisors, provided expert guidance on the study. About Campaign for
Real Beauty The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is a global effort
that is intended to serve as a starting point for societal change
and act as a catalyst for widening the definition and discussion of
beauty. The campaign was created in 2004 after the brand
commissioned a global study that found that only two percent of
women around the world describe themselves as beautiful. Employing
various communication vehicles - advertising, a Web site,
billboards, events and a Self-Esteem Fund - the campaign invites
women to join in the discussion about beauty and share their views
of it with women around the world. Women's response to the campaign
has been overwhelmingly positive; nearly 4 million visitors have
joined the conversation at campaignforrealbeauty.com. About Dove
The Dove mission is to make women feel more beautiful every day by
challenging today's stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring
women to take great care of themselves. Dove, manufactured by
Unilever, is the No. 1 personal wash brand nationwide. One in every
three households uses a Dove product, which includes beauty bars,
body washes, face care, anti- perspirant/deodorants, hair care and
styling aids. Dove is available nationwide in food, drug and mass
outlet stores. About Unilever Unilever (NYSE:ULNYSE:UN), one of the
world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality
to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and
personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160
million decisions to purchase Unilever products. The company has a
portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get
more out of life. In the United States these brands include
recognized names such as: Axe, "all," Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli,
Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care
products, Hellmann's, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips,
Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the
preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever
Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the
communities where we live, work and play, Unilever in the United
States employs approximately 13,000 people in more than 60 office
and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico - generating
nearly $10 billion in sales in 2006. For more information, visit
http://www.unileverusa.com/. About Step Up Women's Network Step Up
Women's Network is a national nonprofit membership organization
comprised of women who are dedicated to strengthening resources for
women and girls. Through teen empowerment programs, professional
mentorship, women's health activities and social networking
opportunities, Step Up educates and activates its members to ensure
that women and girls have the tools they need to create a better
future. Step up offers various programs that aim to give girls the
skills and confidence they need to succeed in their future. The
organization's motto is "Invest, Involve and Inspire." Contact:
Randi Liodice/Edelman 212-704-4462 Stacie Bright/Unilever
203-625-1130 (1) Dittrich, L. "About-Face facts on the MEDIA."
http://www.about-face.org/r/facts/media.shtml. Accessed June 2005.
(2) The Nielsen Company, September 2007 (3) Beyond Stereotypes:
Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs, A Global Report, 2005
DATASOURCE: Dove CONTACT: Randi Liodice, Edelman, +1-212-704-4462,
, or Stacie Bright, Unilever, +1-203-625-1130, , both for Dove Web
site: http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/
http://www.unileverusa.com/
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