Unrealistic body and food fantasies seem to be a staple of entertainment. Media producers know we tune in to watch things that make us feel good, not necessarily things that make sense.

It’s sad that with all the consciousness raising that has been done since at least the early 1980s, we still have to deal with actresses who starve themselves. With all the decades of talk that has been going on about the damage done by unnaturally thin women in entertainment, you’d think we’d have made some progress.

But Hollywood is driven by money. And producers know what sells. That’s always going to be a problem.

I’m not sure how people can fight against that. Certainly, sending more positive more healthy messages via other channels is part of it.

It’s a hard problem, analogous to fast food. The big fast food chains engage scientists to design unhealthy food they know will trigger cravings that are wired into us. They do it because they know people will like it and pay for it.

Hollywood is perhaps not so mindful about what they’re doing, but they still do what they do because they know people will like it and pay for it.

Perhaps, as with fast food, educating people to expect better is the best we can do, even if that isn’t always enough.