BODY IMAGE

We live in a world where the way we view our bodies, is reflective of what society portrays as the standard for beauty.  There is no perfect body image. Today, I would like to create an awareness of what humanity represents as the “Beauty Ideals.” Institutions such as the media, Hollywood, the fashion industry, and the diet industry play a great role in making us embarrassed or guilty about our bodies. The women depicted in these institutions all have flawless skin and thin bodies. Like the video below on Dove Evolution, most of the women used in these commercials have been enhanced using computer technology, which airbrushes and erases their flaws. These images influence our beliefs on how we perceive ourselves as a society, and ultimately our behavior. In a book I read called Women’s Voices Feminist Visions, the author states that “Fashion model’s weigh about 20% less than the average woman; only about 5% of the society weigh’s the average fashion model’s weight given her height.”(223) These statistics show that about 95% of the average woman does not fit into the  “standard for beauty.” This causes great problems in our society, as little girls grow up with all these lies about how their bodies are suppose to appear.  They look up to the models as the standard for beauty, and as they grow older they suffer from eating disorders, because, they are trying to fit in. Nobody tells them what reality is and how not everyone can look like a model. Many teenage girls start to have self-esteem problems if they do not look a certain way. We are all beautiful and our culture should embrace all shapes and sizes.  As I embark on this path to help women and myself love their bodies, the first step is to become aware: to know the absurdity of the beauty ideal.  It is important that we love our bodies, because, when we love our bodies, we feel beautiful. Please take a few minutes examine yourself and the influences that affect your perception of your body and post comments below.