Bulimia.com, an eating disorder support website has re-imagined a variety of female video game characters in order to bring awareness to body image issues. In a blog post, Bulimia points out that graphics in games have gotten better over time. This means that developers can create more life-like worlds and characters. But, video games often perpetuate unrealistic body imagery, and as the group says this can be dangerous.
“If video game creators are going to pride themselves on accurate digital representations, then it’s time for them to get real about women,” Bulimia said. “One could argue that the social pressures to obtain perfection are reinforced even through the depiction of video game characters,” the group added. “Girl gamers–especially young ones–could develop a skewed image of how the female body should look. This might mark the beginning of obsessive thoughts about their own bodies, and self-questioning as to why they don’t align with their perceived ideal. When dangerous, compulsive eating behaviors develop alongside of these negative obsessions, young women can quickly find themselves struggling with an eating disorder.”
To show what they mean, Bulimia Photoshopped some of gaming’s most well-known female characters using the average American woman’s measurements. I’ve included the photos, and here is a link to the full blog post: https://www.bulimia.com/examine/video-games-realistic-body-types/#
I completely agree with what they are doing. I am a chubbier woman myself- not on the fat side, but not stick thin either. Seeing all of these huge breasted women with tiny waists defiantly affected me as a younger gamer. I’m glad they are fighting back against it. While they are not perfect, and video games aren’t the only place where this happens it’s good to think that maybe someday we’ll see some natural waistlines.