Progress So Far

It is now week 9, and the Christmas holidays seem to be approaching at rapid speed!

So far, I have thoroughly researched into my chosen area of BDD and have gained an understanding of the condition, symptoms and ways of dealing with it. I have completed my draft deliverables and ethics form (which I need to submit) as well as creating a draft of my voiceover and storyboards. I feel I have made good progress and have a lot of content for my interim presentation which is due in a few weeks.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

I realise I haven't yet described what Body Dysmorphic Disorder is. From my research so far, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (or Body Dysmorphophobia) appears to be a sever mental condition which is mis diagnosed in up to 82% of circumstances. It is a condition which leads a person to believe that they have an imaginary flaw in their physical appearance. 1  This can occur at any time during the day; where the person suffering will be overcome with fear of their 'deformity'. They will try to camouflage the problem, excessively groom themselves (e.g. applying make up, adjusting hair styles etc), constantly check their appearance in reflective surfaces and even then not be satisfied. This causes high levels of stress and anxiety, which may lead to sufferers avoiding social situations as well as it potentially leading to self harm, clinical depression and even suicide if left untreated.

Response from 'Body'

I have recently had a response from Lauren at Body who has provided me with an extensive range of statistics and information that has been gathered on behalf of the charity. I have also completed my own surveys and currently analysing the results. Below is a copy of the survey I distributed to an audience of women aged between 17-50 years.

'Body' Charity

After researching subjects around body image and appearances, I found a charity online called 'Body'. It is based in Derbyshire and its goals are to help aide people suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder and eating disorders, hopefully overcoming it and providing them with a positive attitude towards their body and physical appearance.

I have been in contact with the Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Lauren Benton, who has kindly offered to give me more of an insight into the charity, and provide me with some statistics that they have gathered over the years in support of their work. This will be extremely helpful for me, so that I can make sure my final project is a true representation of what I am trying to raise awareness about.

I have also been reading the book 'Body Image' by Sarah Grogen which has given me a lot of interesting information about the more aesthetic side of body image within society. It delves into the history of women and the changing attitudes concerning body weight and shape.

I have finished my survey regarding the questions I personally would like to know more about. I plan to give this out by the end of the week and finalise the results by next week.

Dove Project

Dove have created the Dove Self Esteem Fund which aims to boost confidence among young girls and make them feel more positive about their body image and appearances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iENFuUAwVc

My Final Year Project

I originally wanted to create a motion graphics piece exploring women and their body image, yet after discussing with my final year supervisor, we came to an agreement that this is far too big a topic and I need to decide exactly what aspect of body image issues it is I want to look at. That is my plan for the next week; to really fine tune my ideas and focus my research within smaller area.