Seth and Eva Matlins, founders of magazine and fashion label Off Our Chests, believe that the so-called Self Esteem Act will protect children and teenagers from unrealistic ideals when it comes to body image.
They want commercials and magazine spreads to be accompanied by disclaimers if models have been significantly airbrushed or Photoshopped.Eva explained: “We can’t ignore that our beauty culture is having wildly negative effects on girls and women.
“Real, serious, and enduring problems occur when we don’t recognise that the images and ideals of the human form being presented in the media are setting unrealistic expectations and standards for our country’s female population.”
Her husband said they were inspired to act after seeing the results of statistics from the Dove Self-Esteem Fund.
The study revealed that 80% of women felt images of female stars and models in the media made them feel insecure about themselves.
It also showed that 71% of girls with low self-esteem felt their appearance “doesn’t measure up, including not feeling pretty enough, thin enough or stylish enough or trendy enough”.
Seth explained: “These numbers show that we’ve got a societal problem, the consequences of which are having serious effects on individual happiness and well-being, economic productivity, and an astounding number of eating disorder deaths each year.
“When generations of women compare themselves to images, ideals and standards that are unattainable, when generations of men are taught to believe that’s what people should look like, the evidence for action and change is morally incontrovertible.”
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The issue is also a personal one for the couple; they are concerned about the future well-being of their own children.— Mail online
