Content Analysis of Body-Sculpture Advertisements

• Main Authors: Nieh, Hsi-Ping, 聶西平
• Other Authors: Cheng Shou-Hsia
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1998
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/18939292574321207094

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 公共衛生學研究所 === 86 === This study tries to analyze the ads of body-sculpture companies and products from the perspectives of body images, the discourse of medical technologies, and health regulation. The purposes are: (1) to describe the nature of body-sculpture products and their ads, (2) to analyze the body images represented in these ads, (3) to explore the discourses of medical technologies in these ads, and (4) to criticise the contents of these ads which may violate the health regulations. This study sampled purposively the a ds from newspapers and magazines from July to September 1997. Major findings include: (1) The mean prices of body-sculpture products are up one thousand NT dollars. And most of the products resort to lose part-body''''''''s weight or size (61.54%). (2) The methods of body-sculpture, that the ads claim, include chinese medicine, high-tech instruments, exercises, surgeical operation, taking medicine, and use of extractions of some plants or minerals. Except exercise, the other ways lack the effects claim in ads. (3) The main titles of the ads are to prove the products'''''''' effect, a nd to claim for company images or technology. The body- sculpture industry tries to sell attractive products and trustworthy company images recently. (4) the sex that ads appeal to mostly is female (69.57%), and the ads described the main goal of body-sculpture is to improve appearance (80.77%). In the ads, obesity and thinness are defined in terms of social functions (67.16%) more often than physical functions (32.84%). (5) The body images represented in these ads make women more unsatisfied with their bodies than men, and also make people anxious about appearance more than health and physical fitness. (6) Most of the ads empoly the discourses of medical technologies (71.15%). But they are just the tricks of products advertising, not based on scientific evidences. (7) Most of the ads violate health regulations(75%). Facing the fast growing of body-sculpture industry, we advocate for an effective control and regulation. According to the findings, the study brings up some suggestions for future research, public health education, and health policy.