The Men Who Made Us Thin - Netflix

Jacques Peretti investigates the connections between obesity and weight loss, confronting some of the men making a fortune from our desire to become thin.

The Men Who Made Us Thin - Netflix

Type: Documentary

Languages: English

Status: Ended

Runtime: 60 minutes

Premier: 2013-08-08

The Men Who Made Us Thin - The Thin Ideal - Netflix

The Thin Ideal is the concept of the ideally slim female body. The common perception of this ideal is that of a slender, feminine physique with a small waist and little body fat. The size of the thin ideal is decreasing while the rate of female obesity is simultaneously increasing, making this iconic body difficult for women to maintain. This creates a gap between the actual appearance of an average woman’s body and its expected appearance which, depending on the extent to which the ideal is internalized, may have serious psychological effects.

The Men Who Made Us Thin - Internalization - Netflix

The degree to which women are psychologically affected by the thin ideal depends to what extent the ideal is internalized. An article from a journal written by Ahern, et al. highlights these ideals. Women generally relate the ideally thin body to positive life outcomes such as happiness, confidence, and romantic success, and consequently a majority of women value the thin ideal to some extent. However, it is important to recognize the distinction between women who are aware of the advantage of thinness versus those who internalize the ideal and make it a personal belief system. Although the idea of the thin ideal seems omnipresent, not all women identify with the ideal in the same manner and not all are affected by it negatively. For example, after seeing an image of a thin woman in the media, some women may fantasize themselves as thinner and more attractive. To some, this exposure to the thin ideal may make thinness seem more attainable and act as motivational factor in self-improvement.

The Men Who Made Us Thin - References - Netflix