(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
With the Storting decision which states that all retouched advertisements hereafter shall be marked, we have come one step closer to the goal of combating the increasing body pressure among children and young people. The fight against the harmful beauty tyranny, however, is not over. In 2010, the network Youth Against Retouched Advertising was started. The network was to work for a label of retouched advertising and inform about the beauty and body pressure among young people. Rød Ungdom was involved in starting up this network and has contributed with activists and material to the work from the very beginning. Until now, several children's and youth organizations have participated in various ways, including disseminating information and reader contributions. What is the strength of the network is the willingness to take matters into their own hands. We quickly noticed, when we were working for the labeling of retouched advertising, that there was a lack of political will to implement the measure – therefore countless actions were started with hanging posters at bus stops, subway stations, outside the local library and at schools. Activists affixed stickers on huge retouched bodies, all to inform young people that the advertising industry creates a morbid representation of what a body should look like. It is gratifying that hours of poster hanging through dark and cold streets while being chased by civilian guards have now been rewarded with an order to label retouched advertising.
Must step up activism
It's great that activism against the beauty tyranny, which has been going on for years now, has produced results in the form of a parliamentary decision. On the other hand, the fight is in no way won. There is still a huge industry that makes money from people's poor self-confidence. They do not content themselves with the aggressive promotion of products that will solve our physical complexes – the industry almost invents problems to give us inferior self-esteem and thus further maximize profits. The cosmetics and beauty industry largely contributes to the health-damaging body pressures we see today – a body press that gives young people a strained relationship with food and, in the worst case, develops into an eating disorder.
Activists attached stickers to huge retouched bodies.
Many young people believe that six-pack and narrow waist are the norm for a healthy body, which leads to many exercising "to death" and that some go as far as to operate closer to the ideals. The fight is over and the goal of Youth Against Retouched Advertising has reached the day when the harmful health pressures cease. The Storting decision must in no way become a resting pillow, because there is a lot of work that remains. On the contrary, the time has come to step up activism against the beauty tyranny and fight for good schemes that curb body pressure.
Commonly dug
The Resolution 6. June showed us that the topic of body pressure is on the agenda among our elected officials. The same decision round includes, among other things, that the restrictions on advertising for cosmetic surgery should be investigated, and that changes in the marketing law for the protection of children and adolescents should be considered. Now it is important to follow up on these decisions and to ensure that the government comes up with good measures that include, among other things, a ban on plastic surgery advertising aimed at children and young people. A strengthened school health service must be devoted to having the resources to deal with the problem, and more critical thinking about advertising and the media must be encouraged. Good measures do not come by themselves – they must be worked for. We in Youth Against Retouched Advertising are going to stay on until the body pressure is gone. It is time for a common day in which we work for a much healthier attitude towards the body that safeguards everyone's health.
