We have all been exposed to the beauty and body image of the media. Female’s bodies are everywhere, selling everything from cars to food. One time or another looking at a model I am sure we have all thought, “Wow, if I looked like them then I would probably have it all.” So we then run out and purchase the latest and greatest anti-aging cream, those diet pills that promise to make us loose those last 20 pounds we don’t want, or the latest fashion trends. This is the minimal negative body image that thousands of women around the world have. There are those others that take it above and beyond to the next level. Meaning, woman so badly wants to look like those models that they will do anything in their power to do so. This can then lead to depression, eating disorders, and low self esteem. These self esteem issues can cause people to become anorexic or bulimic, and “Nearly 10 million females and 1 million males in the United States battle anorexia or bulimia,” (Kasland).
Anorexia and Bulimia are the two prominent eating disorders in woman. “People with anorexia nervosa severely limit the food they eat. They may also exercise too much. Their body weight gets too low.” (Kasland) People with anorexia want to be in control of their lives, and suffer from self images issues. “People with bulimia nervosa are often a healthy weight or even overweight. But they, too, rob themselves of nutrients by eating a lot, called bingeing, then purging the food, often by making themselves vomit,” (Kasland). Bulimia is usually caused by depression, stress, and or self esteem issues. Women feel that the only way to attain these unrealistic bodies that are shown in the media is by doing one of the two. The Ottawa Citizen quoted Kate Moss saying “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” (London). This does not help with the issue of eating disorders, it only hyphen’s women to become anorexic or bulimic. There are severe consequences to anorexia and bulimia. The major consequence is death; in the article “When eating is the Enemy” stated “Damage can be done to the bones, heart, digestive system, and teeth. In girls, eating disorders often delay or stop normal menstrual periods. And some people – more than 1 in 10 anorexics – die because of eating disorders,” (Kasland). Again these are only a few of the consequences due to the prominent eating disorders.
Our society has put such a strong emphasis on what is perceived to be beautiful but not realistic. Young girls and women believe that beauty is thin, and to get everything they want one must look like the models. But what most women out there don’t hear is what these models must go through to be beautiful. A majority of fashion models are anorexic, and a huge consequence is death; which is something that happens often in the world of entertainment. “Current Events” for example stated:
| Ana Carolina Reston at a runway show. Are these the images we want our young women to portray as beauty? |
“Ana Carolina Reston, 21, was a Brazilian fashion model who worked on runways around the world. She also appeared in print ads, showing off the creations of top fashion designers such as Giorgio Armani. She always looked poised and in control, but her life away from the runway was anything but controlled. Her desire to stay thin turned into an eating disorder. She existed on apples and tomatoes, and her weight plunged to a dangerous level. Finally, her body just gave up. Despite the efforts of doctors, she died. At the time of her death, the 5-foot 8-inch model weighed a scant 88 pounds. Her body mass index (BMI) was 13.4, so low that the World Health Organization classifies it as dangerously thin. BMI is a calculation that measures body fat based on height and weight.” (Anonymous)
This is just one example of what the industry looks like within the lines. These are the women we look at for beauty standards, but what we don’t know is there living an internal battle to stay thin. Portraying these images to young girls make them feel that in order to be beautiful they must look like the models. If they don’t, then they are not classified as “beautiful” and therefore leading them to an eating disorder due to low self esteem or depression, which then could lead to death.
Work Cited
London. Kate Moss slammed for ‘skinny feels good’ motto. (2009, November 20). The Ottawa Citizen,A.9. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1906156941).
Kasland, K.. (2009, March). When Eating Is the Enemy. Current Health 1, 32(7), 26-28. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from Education Module. (Document ID: 1654951191).
The Skinny on Models. (2007, January). Current Events, 106(15), 7. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from Children’s Module. (Document ID: 1193787311).
http://perfectgirlsyndrome.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/sickly.jpg
