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4. Conclusions and discussion

In the analysis of the obtained results, it has been possible to establish how the viewing of advertising loaded with male models with stereotyped physical characteristics can significantly influence the perception and assessment that adolescents make of their own bodies and, this can lead to an increase in the subjective need to make more effort (diets, physical exercise, etc.) to improve their appearance and that this can approach what they consider a healthy body. Although all the groups, regardless of the block of advertisements they have viewed, conceive a direct relationship for men between perception of a healthy body and muscular development. It is significant that when it comes to evaluating their own body, the sample of boys who viewed an advertisement with more stereotyped bodies have a more negative perception of their own appearance, many of them being placed in the lower somatotypes of the proposed scale. It seems that the vision of masculine, muscular and defined advertising models, and the perception of the values of success linked to them, does have a significant impact on the perception and evaluation of their own body and appearance by adolescent boys, valuing them in a more negative way.

It is true that for teenagers in general, regardless of the type of advertising viewed, physical appearance is an important value and they have established physical models as referents of ideal bodies. Therefore, we could indicate the possibility that, the problem of the cult to the body and responding to socially established canons of body and beauty is an issue that is already internalized in adolescents. Advertising that shows models according to this social norm may be influencing and exerting pressure on today’s young people, so that they have these referents as aesthetic ideals to reach and consider the physical aspect as an essential factor in life.

Finally, it has been proven that the Internet is the preferred medium for teenagers to seek and be informed about issues related to improving their physical appearance. The boys focus their interest in the realization of certain exercises and physical routines to obtain specific results. The danger of the network is that young people are easily influenced by opinions or recommendations of “others” who may present themselves as their peers, someone like them who has gone through the same situation or problem, as “prescribers” or “influencers” who advise and indicate what they should do to improve their physical appearance.

5. Bibliographical references

Aranceta, J. & Serra, L. (2006). Nutrición y salud pública. Barcelona: Masson.

Bauman, Z. (2007). Consuming life. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Cabrera, Y. & Fanjul, C. (2012). “Influencia de los modelos publicitarios en la adolescencia: anorexia y vigorexia”. En RASE, vol. 5(2), pp. 122-137.

Cantero, L. (2008). “Género, estética corporal, alimentación y deporte”. En Gil, M. & Cáceres, J. J. [Coords]. Cuerpos que hablan. Géneros, identidades y representaciones sociales. Barcelona: Montesinos.

Díaz, J. A. (2002). “La belleza es salud: La medicalización lingüística de la publicidad de los cosméticos”. En Contextos, XIX-XX (40), pp. 109-121.