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. . . but on the other hand, people are eating more unhealthy fast food than ever before.

Meanwhile, advertising, television, and movies show us super-thin models and stars. But the ideal images we see do not have much to do with normal bodies (see box). But this does not stop people from trying to achieve the ideal. According to MarketData Enterprises, Americans spent about $60 billion dollars on weight-loss products and plans in 2013.

FACTS ABOUT BODY IMAGE

• About 85 percent of women say they are unhappy with some aspect of their bodies. • If you believe what TV shows and advertising say, the “ideal” female body is about 5’11” and weighs about 117 pounds. • The average woman is about 5’4” and weighs about 140 pounds. • Only about 5 percent of women actually have the body type that advertisers want us to think is the “ideal” body. (Adapted from The Refrew Center Foundation, “Learning the Basics: An Introduction to Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues.” Available at http://renfrewcenter.com/sites/default/files/ LearningTheBasics_AnIntrotoED.pdf.)