The film is called "America the Beautiful". I haven’t seen it – it debuted in New York. It’s a movie about America’s image issues, about its eating disorders and about its modeling industry.
Darryl Roberts asked 200 women in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, if they felt attractive. Only two said yes. That means 99% of women feel unattractive? Whoa… something is very wrong.
Roberts is a former entertainment report on Chicago TV. The movie was reviewed by James Snyder at The New York Sun late July. He also interviewed Roberts. The New York Sun The bottom line for Roberts: this misery of poor self image is encouraged by the entertainment and clothing industries, as well as cosmetic companies and plastic surgeons looking for new customers.
The film distinguishes between his interviews of women to the maneuvering of advertising campaigns to create unrealistic expectations for women. He contrasts this even deeper by focusing on Gerren Taylor, a 12-year-old hit model today who exuded self confidence until she, already a very skinny diet-thin teenager, was told to slim down.
He also interviews parents of children who died because of eating disorders and listens to them argue that eating disorders are underreported. He finds out that medical examiners don’t list eating disorders as the cause of death.
I can vouch for that; the underreporting is across ages! My 70-year old sister’s death as listed as ‘pneumonia’. She weighed 76 pounds and was anorexic.
Other findings reported in the documentary:
- 400 ingredients have been banned from use in cosmetics throughout Europe while only 10 are being regulated by the FDA in America.
- The world of cosmetic surgery is not well regulated. It takes very little training for and MD to become a plastic surgeon.
He also concludes that the magazines make no effort to hide what they’re doing because it’s the air brushed photos that display the perfect female image that sell.
Apparently Roberts has had problems selling his film. It created a huge buzz in Dallas, he had to open in Chicago without a distributor but it created enough buzz again that the distribution agents came to him.
I’m going to look for this film when it comes to Michigan. Wouldn’t miss it!
To your successful health … and self-image.
Ruthan Brodsky
I work with small businesses and health care professionals marketing their
products and services with content.
