What is "Perfection" for women?
In a study conducted by Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty, two percent of women descrided themselves as being beautiful. Beauty is a very difficult thing to describe but to most of society it follows these criteria.
- Tall
- Skinny
- Long Hair
- Young
- White skin complexion
-Barbie-like figure
Perfection for African Americans
African Americans differ a little bit when it comes to achieving beauty. Long straight hair and pale skin are characteristics favored by our society. Many would describe this as looking caucasian.
Ideal Measurements:
36-26-36
5% percent of women fit these measurements because their bodies are not physically structured to be this small.
The Media's Influence
The media has played a major role in shaping the concept of what beauty is and what the perfect body should look like. Images of women that fit the characteristics of being "perfect" and stories about "how to loose weight fast" have convinced women all over the world that are not pretty enough to be on the cover of a magazine or on television. The media actually only represents about 5% of the actual female population's body shape. Studies show that 50-70 percent of women in society are overweight but you would never see them on the cover of magazines like Vogue.
Women in the media are ofetn seen as objects. They are used to appeal to men because "sex" sells. Men are attracted to "beautiful" women especially if they are in little or no clothing. Placing a half nude woman on a car ad would attract the attention of many men but also the women that are looking at the body of the model, at the same time.
Studies show that the reason why the media only uses thin women is because of the economics that are involved. It affords opportunities for weight loss companies to sell their products. Women's magazines have been reported to have more weight loss ads then men becuase women are more obssessed with body image than men tend to be.
Many people, especially young girls think that all celebrities and models are "perfect" but they are not. Many of our idols have been touched up by computers to give that flawless effect. You are not comparing your body to a celebrity's "perfect" body but you are comparing it to a computer image.
They may look flawless but in fact they have wrinkles, uneven complexions, pimples, and even stained teeth just like many of us do. Their pictures are touched up by computers to fix every flaw before you actually see it. Just take a look at these photos.
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Wanting the "Perfect Body"
A study by Teen magazne showed that 90% of women are unhappy with their bodies. Influences on need to feel beautiful can stem from family members, relationships, friends and the media. There actually have been direct links to the media and eating disorders.
How Do They Achieve Perfection:
- PlasitcSurgery
- Eating disorders
- Diets
- Weight loss pills
- Excessive Exercise
Teenage girls have seen record numbers of eating disorders. 1-2 teens out of every 100 have an eating disorder.
Many Celebrities suffer from eating disorders such as Ashlee Simpson, Mary Kate Olsen, and Nicole Richie. Actress Barbara Niven has come forward about her hidden struggle:
"I did it all: anorexia, bulimia, binging, over-exercise. But no matter how much weight I lost I could never look "skinny". It's not my body type! So I always felt disgusting and like a failure. I hated myself and my body, but always tried to hide how I felt behind a smile. It was my secret shame."
Bulimia is a disorder that causes a person to binge eat, which is excessive eating and then they force themselves to vomit. Bulimics eat a lot of junk food in secrecy and then vomit to control their weight. Bulimia eventually stops a persons control of eating. They only stop eating when they are full and cannot eat anymore. Bulimics can be overwieght or normal weight which means that the problem can go undected for long periods of time. A study found that between 1.1 and 4.2 percent of females suffer from bulimia nervosa in their lifetime. Also it is reported that the number of cases of bulimia tripled in women aged 10-39 between 1988 and 1993.
Anorexia is caused by the fear of gaining weight. Those with anorexia skip meals, excessively exercise, diet and fast frequently. They even binge eat making this disorder similar to Bulimia. Those with anorexia are very thin and you can see most of their bone structure making the disorder easy to notice. It is reported that between 0.5 and 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime and that the mortality rate among people with anorexia is 12 times higher than the mortality rate for all causes of death among females aged 15-24. Statistics show that 2 in 5 new cases of anorexia appear in girls aged between 15 and 19 years.
Eating disorders are serious problems that can potentially be fatal. There are other forms if eating disorders such as binge eating and purging. If you notice some of these red flags listed below please take it serious and seek help.
Commom symptoms to look for are someone that:
-makes excuses to go to the bathroom frequently
-Is obssessed with weight
-Exercises excessively
-Feels fat or depressed
-Skips meals
-Very thin body frame
- depressed often
All symptoms are not listed on this website because are can be different signs depending on the person. If you notice any of these symptoms or anything that does not seem right in any of your friends, family, or associates notify someone you trust immediately.
For more information concerning eating disorders or if you suspect that someone is struggling with their weight please contact:
-Center for Eating Disorders
at Focus Healthcare of Tennessee
1-800-675-2041 or visit the website at www.focuscenterforeatingdisorders.com
-Visit this website for a complete list of symptoms
Teens Health from Nemours at
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/eat_disorder.html#
Words of Inspiration for EVERYONE:
Everyone should first love their inner beauty before they critique what is on the outside. Insecurity starts from within and leaks to the ouside surface. If you are someone that thinks that celebrities are always perfect, they are not. They have issues just like you. Trying to fit the image of perfection is a never ending battle because beauty is always changing in terms of society. Everyone is beautiful in their own way and that is what makes them unique.
What Does This Mean Sociologically?
As society continues to change, so do ideas of what beauty is. This creates a constant problem for women, particularly young teens because they are striving to reach perfection without realizing that it does not exist. The media puts so much stress on beauty that it leads to serious problems such as eating disorders and it claims the lives of those that just want to fit in. This will continue to go on as long as the media disproportionately represents only one type of beautiful women. The fact that young kids are turning to eating disorders and even suicide shows that our media's influence is too strong. From an economic stand point, women are pouring millions into weight loss products and surgery before they try eating healthier and exercising because they want a quick fix to their problems instead of working for it. If there were more women in the media that are more realistic to the representation of the majority of women, there probably would not be a huge difference in what is thougt to be beautiful because many women would still idolized those that are pencil thin. Some women suffer from inner insecurities that just do not change without help. Obssessions with body image is something that could take over someone's life and drive them to severe depression which can effect everyone around them.
You ARE
beatiful
What does it mean to be beautiful? To what extreme will you take to be recognized as "perfect"?
"The real beauty is inside and if you are not beautiful there, your new look wont change anything.' Anonymous
