Bodies Visual cultures of anorexia and size zero

Thin bodies have been the centre of much controversy in recent years. Feminist critiques of popular culture, as well as popular feminist movements, have called attention to the ways in which oppressive ideals of feminine beauty have increasingly become associated with an idealisation of extreme thinness. In particular, the extent to which the prevalence of eating disorders can be linked to media representations of very thin (‘size zero’) models and celebrities has been the subject of much discussion. This article explores the relationship between bodies, images and cultural representations of thinness across a range of media sites including political campaigns, commercial television, celebrity magazines, catwalk and high street fashion, and digital cultures, exploring how anorexic and size-zero bodies are gendered, racialised and pathologised in contemporary media cultures.