A new 2015 study shows that US media consumption by a person increased to 15 and a

half hours per day. The media plays a leading role in social pressure of individuals to be thin,
since fashion advertisements make up a big percentage of the media. To make individuals more
aware of eating disorders, such as anorexia, and to expose to the public of the fashion industry
pressuring many individuals to be a certain size and weight, the advertising agency, Revolution
Brasil created an ad titled, Youre not a sketch, Say no to anorexia. In this powerful
advertisement, a very thin and unhealthy model is compared to a fashion sketch. The
advertisement gives off the troubling but very true message that models and sketches in fashion
advertisements are a false representation of average and healthy individuals. Revolution Brasil
successfully proves their message through cogent reasoning and utilizing rhetorical appeals in
the advertisement against the negative effects of the fashion industry on society.
The misrepresentation of the perfect body image by the fashion industry can have
many negative effects on the society. With the media and advertisement taking up about 15 and a
half hours of an average persons day, individuals feel the pressure to achieve the misrepresented
perfect body by the fashion industry. Individuals aim to achieve the slim figure of their media
role models, regardless of the unhealthy effects to achieve it. Millions of individuals, sadly go as
far as developing eating disorders to try to achieve what the fashion industry portray as the
perfect body. According to an 2006 eating disorder article, Tabloids and television
entertainment shows are full of gossipy reports about young, pencil-thin Hollywood actresses
who might be anorexic or bulimic eating disorders, however are far from glamorous (Prah,
2006). Approximately 35 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder, causing advocates to
push congress to make eating disorders a national priority, just like obesity.

Eating disorders are serious and life-threatening illnesses that impact millions of
individuals around the world. According to the ANAD, in the Unites States alone, 30 million
people of all ages suffer from an eating disorder. It is the cause of many deaths, at the rate of
every 62 seconds, one person dies, as a direct result of an eating disorder. Furthermore, eating
disorders hold the highest mortality rates of any mental illness. In the past two decades, there has
been an unprecedented growth of eating disorders, but eating disorder foundations still lack
funding for research and insurance coverage for treatment, while social pressures remain
rampant.
The advertisement effectively and cogently gets across the message that fashion
advertisements misrepresent an average humans body by creating high standards of what is
considered attractive. The creator of the ad, implicitly and explicitly states that fashion
advertisements affect individuals negatively. For instance, the advertisement explicitly addresses
the illness, Anorexia Nervosa. One percent of American women suffer from anorexia in their
lifetime, and one in five anorexia deaths is due to suicide. On the other hand, the advertisement
implicitly addresses other eating disorders because anorexia is not the only eating illness
occurring around the world, there are many other life-threatening eating disorders. Furthermore,
eating disorders, tragically are often times associated with suicide. The nations obsession with
appearances has been the main cause of eating disorders for years now. Tabloids and television
entertainment shows are a large portion of the media obsess with young and thin actresses who
might be suffering from a serious eating disorder.
The advertisement also effectively appeals to the publics emotions. With the
overwhelming statistics of eating disorders linked with death, most of which are due to suicide.
Fortunately, the advertisement Youre not a sketch, Say no to Anorexia, is having a positive affect

to the public, by motivating everyone to share the awareness of living a happy and healthy
lifestyle versus being a size zero. Americans can start to educate young individuals of healthy
lifestyles instead of obsessing over thin models, actors, and public figures who are selling the
theory that only thin individuals are attractive. Creating more awareness of this issue will
ultimately increase self esteem and self value in individuals who are feeling pressured to have
the perfect body.

Works Cited
"National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated ..." N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.
"U.S. Media Consumption to Rise to 15.5 Hours a Day Per ..." N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.
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