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Media emphasizes thin figure |
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Thursday, 28 February 2008 |
Gorgeous thin models grace the covers of swimsuit magazines and tall slender beauties strut the New York catwalk while the media emphasizes that to be attractive, a woman must be the “Hollywood slim.”
As it is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I urge Appalachian State University students to be aware of these extremely harmful diseases and resources to combat them.
The fad that “thin is always in” has captivated the nation in a seemingly obsessive manner.
Going to extremes, some women will try almost anything to keep up the looks of their favorite idolized
movie stars.
It is eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia that have become a large concern among the
population which strives to fit the media ideal.
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, eight million
people in the United States have an eating disorder, with 90 percent of those people being women.
It is understood that women compare themselves to other women; after all, we are women and we want
to look and feel our best.
But honestly, it is time that our culture makes a drastic shift, learning to accept people for who they
are.
Our society needs to take a step back and embrace every individual. There are so many other issues
in the world that need to be taken care of such as the AIDS pandemic, a cure for cancer, or fighting
against poverty, but instead, our culture is driven often times on attractive standards.
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) states that the cause of eating disorders can range
from low self-esteem, troubled relationships, abuse, and cultural pressures.
Media is so powerful in the culture today that, subconsciously, girls believe they must fulfill the ideal
body type in order to be accepted.
Society and the media need to shift their focus from being beautiful is being thin to how we can help
impact our nation in a positive way.
Being “healthy” should not be based upon how much Heidi Klum weighed on her recent runway pass.
Being healthy is, however, eating a balanced diet, exercising, and feeling content with one’s body
image.
According to NEDA, the consequences of anorexia and bulimia can include
reduction of bone density, fatigue, slow heart rate, and kidney failure.
Perception of the perfect body will always play a role in society today and in the future.
Along with the slim ideal, there will constantly be those who go to extremes, striving to reach the thin,
petite frame.
Although culture suggests that to be stunning, a woman must be delicate and lean, it risks a woman’s
own health to persevere these stereotypes of what it means to be attractive.
Women should be able to embrace the body they have without doubting themselves. Anorexia and
bulimia have serious repercussions and people with eating disorders are literally dying to be thin.
Brittany Penland, a freshman journalism major from Asheville, is an intern news reporter.
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