The perception of the ideal body is slender, femini physique with a small waist and little body fat (Low et al., 2003). Although thin ideal culture is formed, but the reality is the size of the thin ideal is actually decreasing while the rate of obesity is simultaneously increasing, indirectly making the iconic body shapes hard to maintain or even achieve it (Pinhas et al., 1998). The consequence of this will eventually create a gap between the actual appearance of an average woman’s body and its expected appearance, which will lead to internalization (Pinhas et al., 1998). The internalization of the thin ideal culture is very serious because it will cause several serious effects. One of the examples would be weightism. The definition of thin-ideal …show more content…
There is an article from the Eating Disorders Journal stated that "thin ideal internalization is the extent to which an individual 'buys into' socially defined ideals of attractiveness and engages in behaviors designed to approximate these ideals." (Ahern, Bennett, &Hetherington, 2008). In the case, women generally link the ideally thin body to a positive life such as successful, happy, romantic, etc, and consequently a majority of women value the thin ideal to some extent (Tiggemann, Polivy &Hargreaves, 2009). However, it is vital to aware the distinction between women who are aware of the advantage of thinness versus those who internalize the ideal and make it a personal belief system. Although the idea of the thin ideal seems omnipresent, not all women identify with the ideal in the same manner and not all are affected by it negatively (Mask, Lisa &Celine, 2011). Past research on the development of pressure to be thin has focused entirely on environmental and cultural
Another aspect of the ‘ideal’ body concept to explore is, what will the future hold for womens body image? At the moment future of the ‘ideal’ body looks bleak, with women trying to achieve something that is only naturally achievable for 5% of the population. Some experts are predicting the return of ‘recession curves’ where we deal with the uncertainty of the economic downturn with putting on extra weight, whilst others believe a truly full-figured ideal is still a long way off, largely due to the obesity crisis, which invariably carries with it negative health associations with being fat.
Every culture has a “perfect body image” that everyone compares their own bodies to. Girls especially have the mental thinking that they have to live up to the models on TV and magazines. In the United States the skinnier the girls, the more perfect their image is perceived. The “perfect body image” has an intriguing background, health and psychological problems, and currently few solutions.
Obesity rates have skyrocketed within the last 10-20 years. This is in direct correlation with the diet and exercise habits of cultures. As cultures begin to incorporate different culture’s cuisines into their own cultures, the obesity rate starts to increase. This is most likely caused by their heritage history being accustomed to their culture’s cuisine history. Then diet and exercise come into play as well. We live in a time where technology has almost taken over our lives. In modern day, we can drive wherever we need to go, we do not have to walk everywhere anymore; we do not have to even go to the grocery store anymore because Amazon.com has now made their website into a grocery store in select parts of the country where we pick what we need online and it is delivered to our house. This program is set to go nationwide soon, and eventually globally. This is the epitome of laziness and why different cultures are becoming obese; especially America. Diet and exercise have almost become a thing of the past in America. Yes, there is still a large amount of humans that still exercise daily, but not the average American. The most active age group, worldwide, is 22-34 year olds with an average salary of $20,000 or less (Thompson 2013). Cultures such as the Native Americans, Mexicans, Chileans, and the culture that tops the list; Americans, are among the world’s most obese cultures (Downey 2011).
We have historically witnesses how society has come to accept the concepts that women who are as thin as paper have the ideal body. This, in the larger context, affects eating behaviors. To some, it led to people eating less especially women. Others, however, take them negatively and instead binge into eating. As years passed, we now realize that this concept have evolved into the consideration that thin is out but fit is right. Such concept today shape beliefs in eating and so regulate behaviors that would have to promote healthy eating
Body image is among of the top reasons for developing psychological conditions in the country based upon the bias of what is shown through the screen. Since the nineteen-nineties an alarming trend has come to pass as a result in the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States, to oppose this the exact opposite became popular to become skeletal in appearance with bones showing naturally through the skin. Becoming an accepted notion to starve in order to attain this new angelic appearance, rising above the notion of overly plentiful food by not eating until the body became undernourished. Even the naturally thin models were not skinny enough trying to appeal to this new craze. The resulting effects became depression in this pursuit of perfection, with competition becoming higher among women with finding mates, with this idealized persona becoming the image to men of what women should
In conclusion, women should be comfortable in their own skin and shouldn’t feel compelled to be as thin as a model. Women need to feel appropriate and content in their own skin, and to not feel inferior to the model on TV or pasted in a magazine advertisement. We are all different and no woman is exactly the same and even the ones that seem to be picture perfect have flaws and love handles, and women need to realize that is the truth. So, by accepting one’s self for who they truly are and what they have accomplished in life is what is going to boost our self-esteem. Once the world understands this, then the media won’t have such a monumental affect on society.
Wiseman, C., Gray, J., Mosimann, J., & Ahrens, A. (1992). Cultural expectations of thinness in women: An update. International Journal Of Eating Disorders, 11(1), 85--89.
There is a constant battle between being too thin and being too fat. If a woman is seen as being fat, then she is automatically assumed as being lazy and overeats. If she is too thin, then she starves herself and is often seen as number obsessed. For the woman who is not the ideal weight, but over it, she is told she needs to lose weight and that she is just a pig who refuses to exercise. Health issues like Hypothyroidism can affect the hormones that regulate metabolism, causing weight gain. Women that are on the other side of the spectrum are seen having issues with Anorexia and Bulimia. Diseases are often ignored when it comes to weight because all that society sees is the shape of the person, and women are criticized for it harshly. Society is so obsessed with weight that it often blocks out aspects like personality when people address women. A male friend came up to me one day and told me that if I lost some of my waist, men would be more attracted to me. When did numbers come to outweigh personality and overall compatibility? I have come to accept the fact that I will not fit in with the “ideal woman’s” body image, however I do not let it affect how I see myself. Instead, I embrace it as part of being me. The need for a thin body has been fed by the media to make the woman change her ways and give in to society’s demands. Weight loss programs are displayed on television for low prices enticing women that are “overweight” to buy the product so she can become more desirable. The internet is filled with banner ads that tell people to, “click and learn how to lose 5 pounds in 1 week.” Blogs are being dedicated to weight loss and article upon article are being created for the sheer need to be thin and ideally what every woman “wants.” However, amongst the ever growing weight loss powerhouse are a few people who stand up against it. As people flip through channels on their TVs they can
The overwhelming idea of thinness is probably the most predominant and pressuring standard. Tiggeman, Marika writes, “This is not surprising when current societal standards for beauty inordinately emphasize the desirability of thinness, an ideal accepted by most women but impossible for many to achieve.” (1) In another study it is noted that unhealthy attitudes are the norm in term of female body image, “Widespread body dissatisfaction among women and girls, particularly with body shape and weight has been well documented in many studies, so much so that weight has been aptly described as ‘a normative discontent’”. (79) Particularly in adolescent and prepubescent girls are the effects of poor self-image jarring, as the increased level of dis...
Women are bombarded by images of a thin-ideal body form that is extremely hard, if not impossible, to emulate. Comparing themselves to these women can lead to feelings of inadequacy, depression, and an overall low self-esteem. (Expand on, need a good opening paragraph to grab the reader’s attention)
The policing of women’s bodies is, and has been, a staple in western culture. Beauty ideals and standards dictate young women’s behaviors and attitudes towards themselves and other women around them. According to mainstream media a woman’s value is directly tied to her perceived sexual attractiveness, which is directly correlated to her body size. Through the close association between weight and worth of women, comes the rise of a culture of dieting and what is defined by J.Kevin Thompson in his article “Thin-Ideal Internalization: Mounting Evidence for a New Risk Factor for Body-Image Disturbances and Eating Pathology” as ‘thin- ideal internalization’ or the “internalization ideals of attractiveness” (Thompson 2001).
The Effects of Unrealistic Women’s Body Images in the Media Society has always set guidelines for the people of the world, whether it is purposeful or not. Celebrities, advertisements, and media play an immense role in guiding society’s mindset. Currently, one of the biggest controversies in the media is the concept of the “perfect body.” The “perfect body” is a thin, hourglass figure with toned muscles and clear skin, which are traits unattainable for many women.
The pattern is similar for the portrayal of women on television, magazines, and other parts of the media. The way media represents women are for them to be thin-like models and other women on television to be the high standard of “attractiveness” to others. The advertising involved targets young teenage women and feature these models that are portraying desirable items, and the “norm” is for these women to be slender and beautiful (Vonderen & Kinnally, 2012). Research has been done to prove that media’s pressure on being thin causes women to be depressive and negative feelings about themselves . Women’s view are skewed and perceived incorrectly of what the typical female body should be (Haas, Pawlow, Pettibone & Segrist, 2012).
Variables were measured using 7-point Liker-type scales. Participants reported the number of beauty related magazines they read each month, as well as the perceived prevalence of the thin ideal in mass media, perceived influence of the thin ideal on women, on men, and on self, and their desire to be thin (Park, 2005, p. 602-603). The results of this study indicate that consuming beauty and fashion magazines both directly and indirectly increase the desire to be thin. Individuals perceive the thin ideal in mass media, assume that others are influenced by this ideal, feel pressure to conform to this norm, and, therefore, feel an enhanced desire to be thin (Park, 2005, p. 606-607). Park wrote this article in response to the worrisome increase in body dissatisfaction.
Since most contents of the media promote certain body shapes and appearances, people may try to do minor adjustments on their looks in order to look good under societal norms, so as to please their people around them, gain acceptance and secure a status in social groups. In some extreme cases, people alter their faces and bodies at all costs but this in fact can backfire on both physical and mental health of them. Physically, as a thin body is considered the best shape of females these days, girls may go on a diet or undergo surgeries to get rid of body fat and lose weight. Yet, among women who tried to get slimmer, 60% were of normal weight and 10% were actually underweight (Davis, 2017). Blindly losing weight by refusing to eat or over-exercising may lead to insufficient energy and nutrition intake.