Researchers believe that advertisers intentionally normalize unrealistic thin bodies. They do this in order to create an unattainable goal which causes consumers to buy constantly (Kilbourne). Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines they read and the television programs they watch, almost all of which make them feel anxious about their weight. It is a vicious cycle. First a commercial makes one feel uneasy about their weight. Then the diet industry is introduced, meaning, a method of losing weight is advertised. Once they are there, they can be sold over and over again. This is an example of basic economics. By presenting an ideal that is difficult to achieve, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured growth and profit. Such programs as Jenny Craig and L.A. Weightloss charge by the week and can become very expensive. If the weight and thinness of women seen on TV or in magazines decreases, then other women are more likely to join and stay for more and more weeks until they reach that ideal weight. The current media ideal of thinness is achievable by less than 5% of the female population (social). This thinness is increasingly promoted as an essential criterion of beauty. Women become insecure about their bodies and therefore are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aid. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth $100 billion (media)! Weight loss is moving farther from being strictly health related reasons and toward strategic tactics of advertising, or advetsing psychology, to increase the profit of a product.

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