"We don't need Afghan-style burquas to disappear as women. We disappear in reverse- by revamping and revealing out bodies to meet externally imposed visions of female beauty."
- Robin Gerber, author and motivational speaker
Nowadays, women's bodies are selling everything from clothes to cars and beer. Women's bodies are seen as sex objects, and women's magazines are even telling women if they lose 20 pounds, they will have a better sex life, better marriage, more loving children, and a more rewarding career ("Beauty and body,"). Body image is becoming a big part of women's lives, and women are trying more and more to change their bodies to fit social standards.
Women are becoming more and more insecure. The more insecure they become, the more likely they are to buy new clothes, beauty products, and diet aids to try to change their appearance. The diet industry is booming because the lack of self esteem women have. It's makes 40 to 100 billion a year by just selling temporary weight loss supplements. Research also indicates an increase of depression, loss of self-esteem, and unhealthy eating habits are effects of exposure to images of women who are thin, young, and air brushed ("Beauty and body,"). Advertisements are airbrushing models to make them look "prefect" but little do they know that this is messing with society's perception of beauty. The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college- aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control ("Beauty and body," ). This body image epidemic is also effecting young girls. Girls younger and younger are becoming more aware of body image. Teen magazine reported that 35% of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that 50% to 70% of normal weight girls believe they are overweight ("Beauty and body," ). Every girl had a Barbie when they were younger. Little do young girls know that Barbie's proportions are so unreal that she would not survive due chronic diarrhea and malnutrition. Being surrounded by barbie dolls doesn't help the increase of low self-esteem of young children.
Society is pushing women to be skinny. Researchers report that women's magazines have ten and one- half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than men's magazines do, and over three- quarters of the covers of women's magazines include at least one message about how to change a woman's bodily appearance ("Beauty and body,"). Diets, exercise, or cosmetic surgery are usually mentioned on the cover pages of magazines. "How to loose 10 pounds before spring break" and "How to get rid of acne in 3 simple steps grace the magazine covers that I interact with on a daily basis, whether it be standing in line at a check out or actually purchasing a magazine. In advertising, thin is "in" and thin is everywhere! Models weigh 23% less than average women today ("Beauty and body," ) . Being thin sells products. Advertisements for clothes, alcohol, and beauty products usually have a young, tall, thin model showing off the brands product. We live in a world where sex sells and being thin and tall is sexy. If you are overweight you are made fun of and not beautiful with the media's idea of beauty.
Today, media is bombarding society with messages of being thin and tells average women that they need physical adjustment to be beautiful. Jean Kilbourne argues that the overwhelming presence of media images of painfully thin women means that real women's bodies have become invisible in the mass media. Kilbourne concludes that many women internalize these stereotypes, and judge themselves by the beauty industry's standards ("Beauty and body," ) . Today women compare themselves with each other and compete for male attention. This body image epidemic has become increasingly worse and will continue to do so with the way advertising portrays women.
Beauty and body image in the media. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm
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