Staff Writers
When you look in the
mirror, what do you see? The way you perceive yourself is much different from
how others see you. Women have been known to dislike their shapes and sizes.
When they get obsessed with appearance and it affects daily habits, a problem arises.
There have been many
different beauty standards throughout the years. Up
until the early 1920s, a full figure meant you were wealthy and taken care of.
Now, slim is the preferred body type. Each era had an ideal image that women
aspired to look like. The late 1800s were
the Gibson Girls. The 20s were the flappers and showgirls. The 30s were the
models, 40s were the pin up girls, and then there was Marilyn. Marilyn Monroe
made curvy desirable again. However, after she passed away, being skinny was
‘the thing to be’ once again. In the 60s, British teen model Lesley Hornby,
commonly known as “Twiggy”, became a major icon in the modeling industry.
Twiggy, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 15, meaning she was very slim, set
almost impossible standards. The average BMI at the time was 24.9.
In
the 70s, the media was pushing for a less curvy but still slender model. Charlie’s
Angels’ Farrah Fawcett fit the bill. In the 80s, the new physically fit and
toned, but not too heavy and muscular look came about. Supermodels hit the
all-time high in popularity during this decade. Women like Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen had the
quintessential look.
The
90s witnessed a dramatic change in the model industry. Skinny waists and large
breasted chests became prevalent. As the century came to a close, the idea of
skinny was slowly being pushed away from its tall and thin history. The
2000s focused on health, diet, and exercise. As the decade progressed, body
acceptance was universally pushed through collectively.
However,
body image still plays a large role in our society. Seen in the modeling
industry as well as other media applications, Photoshop is used to ‘enhance’
features of the body, such as the waist, arms and thighs. When you look at the
woman on the cover of a magazine, you’re not seeing the real picture. It’s a
technologically filtered image of a model, who only resembles the real end
product.
Unrealistic
images are everywhere we turn. Magazines, advertisements, and even TV promotes
the improbable standards these people set. Media has a huge effect on teens.
People appearing in television, movies, and most advertisements have one thing
in common: they’re all attractive by societal standards. When people see others
who are typically ‘beautiful’, they tend to compare themselves to the other
person. When we asked about common factors seen in high school students with
eating disorders, Michelle Pittelli stated, “Typically, they’re overachievers,
but they remain unnoticed.” Kari Kite added, “They often live in controlling
households, which could be a factor of why they desperately need to be in
control.” Of course, not all people with eating disorders are like this, but
these affect the vast majority. Self-esteem levels drop, and sometimes, the
situation gets serious.
More
often than not, normal, everyday people don’t look like those on the screen. Eating disorders reveal themselves dramatically.
An eating disorder is defined as any of a range of psychological disorders
characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits. Many things
influence people to contract eating disorders. Media, a controlling
environment, even the iconic doll, Barbie. Barbie has often been accused
of depicting unrealistic proportions that influence young children into having
a negative body image. But the media has even more influence than a simple
doll.
Eating disorders are heavily influenced by the media. Look at the facts,
80% of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance. Fifty-one percent
of 9-10 year old girls feel better about themselves if they’re on a diet.
Eighty percent of 10-year-old girls have dieted. Over half of 10-year old girls
residing in the United States worry about their weight. Something is wrong
if a ten year old girl is worried about her weight and dieting. And 90% of high
school junior and senior women diet regularly. In a survey, some college
students said they would rather marry an embezzler, a drug user, or a
shoplifter than marry someone who is overweight.
While
there are a variety of eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia are the most
common. One in every 200 women in America is diagnosed with anorexia. Two to
three out of 100 American women are diagnosed with bulimia. Up to 10% of women
in college suffer from a clinical eating disorder, with 5.1% of those women
being bulimic.
Fashion
models keep getting skinnier as time goes on. People don’t realize that a
surprising number of models walking down the runway meet the criteria for an
eating disorder. In the 90’s, a model weighed 8% less than the average women,
but now in 2014 she weighs 23% less. The average model is 5’11 and weighs 117
pounds, 98% thinner than the average American woman. Some modeling agents have
even been known to scout for possible new models at anorexia clinics. When the
average person sees someone on screen looking like that (and that’s before any
Photoshop and airbrushing techniques are used) they don’t see themselves. Their
first response is to change something about themselves, whether it’s a small
thing, or a big thing. Sometimes it can be a harmless clothing copy, but other
times it can lead to changing how you look. Their minds flood with images of
being prettier or super skinny.
So,
what’s the point? You’ve seen the statistics and the proof behind the body
image issues in society. The point is, it is still an issue. Barely anything
has changed in the past 20 years when it comes to beauty standards. Women
continue to feel ashamed of their bodies, and it needs to be stopped.
