Media always frames a communication i.e. selects some aspects of a perceived reality and make them more salient in a communication. Framing serves to illuminate one or two factors about a topic while ignoring other information. By highlighting, or making salient certain aspects of a message over other aspects the message may influence receivers’ perceptions of what is more or less important or significant.

A message can be framed either positively or negatively and similarly when considering the framing of a written message, the same information can be phrased in several different ways depending upon word choice. For example, headlines running across the top of magazine covers represent an example of how framed messages can be presented in an easily identified format. A reader’s attention may be caught by the boldface, large-type letter fonts and then the positive or negative wording used. Media, such as magazines, influence what people talk about, as well as their perceptions, beliefs and attitudes. Frames are often generated by journalists to produce a particular definition, interpretation, or moral evaluation. By combining visual information with verbal information the framing of communiation in media has even more powerful impact on perception. Comparing differing communicative messages, regarding Physical Attractiveness and healthy body shape standards, alongside accompanying photographs, shows a relationship between framing effects and perceptions of attractiveness and unhealthiness. There seems to be no doubt that media plays a very important role in the definitions and assessments of beauty and what is normal and not normal in the American society. Thin is ‘In’ American culture favors an increasingly shrinking body size for women when making judgments of Physical Attractiveness. This is made evident by the portrayals of women depicted in magazines, advertisements, television, and the movies.

Does it impact both men and women?

The results of scientific research shows that TV viewing biases social perceptions of body images in both sexes. Interestingly though TV viewing may not impact men’s consumption behavior. But for women, in contrast, TV viewing increases the real–ideal self discrepancy , which leads to consumption of products and services promising to achieve ideal bodies. For both males and females, TV viewing increases body dissatisfaction. It also alters or strengthens general beliefs about body images, which in?uence related behavior.

Given below are some examples where the Physical Attractiveness issue is in focus on TV.

Length 60 minutes, with commercials

Date 2009 July 28, first broadcast

Media television network, US, ABC Television Network

Additional Program is weekly primetime reality type, first episode in first season.

July 28, 2009, the American television network FOX Television broadcast the first episode of its new weekly primetime reality program titled, More to Love. This first episode of this one-hour long program showed well the realities of Physical Attractiveness (PA) as part of the Physical Attractiveness Phenomenon (PAP). This program series presents well the PA/PAP dimension of weight, particularly heavier weight, for males and females throughout life, as well as in the dating-mating aspect of life.

To view:
You can watch brief clips and full episodes of the above "More to Love" television program at http://www.hulu.com/search?query=more+to+love. For example:

Excerpt immediately below titled "You're So Cute" is a 30-second (00m32s) clip from the first episode that shows the initial quick introduction meeting of the selector (bachelor) and one of the twenty selectees (contestants) in the above "More to Love" television program broadcast on FOX television.

Video immediately below titled "Big And Beautiful Casting" is a 2-minute (02m15s) web exclusive that presents a look at the casting-screening-selecting process for the 20 contestants chosen for the program.

Video immediately below titled "More To Love: Episode 1" (subtitled: A husky hunk searches for love among 20 full-figured women) is the entire first 1-hour (43m12s) episode of the program.