Fashion Isn't a Size: Body Image in Modern Society

Body image identifies with how individuals ponder their very own body. It identifies with people’s observations, emotions, and how people contemplate his or her body. It is typically conceptualized as consolidating body size and assessment of how attractive one’s body is. Feelings related with one's body shape and size is likewise a primary factor adding to body image. Individuals today experience the ill effects of attempting to inspire other individuals and themselves with the “perfect” idea of body image. Many adolescents attempt to change their appearance due to the pressure of social media and society. Body image can affect people of all ages; children, teenagers, young adults, and adults. Today we find that a tremendous amount of people has low confidence that ordinarily starts around the season of adolescence. In today’s society, eating disorders have become something that is considered normal to try and awe the public. Teens and adults get things done to simply change their appearance without comprehending what is really happening, because of the way body image has such a large impact in the regular day existence.

Women in Society

From the beginning of time, a woman’s job was to make herself as appealing to others as much as she could. In spite of the fact that the style and physical qualities of women, fashion, and society has changed after some time, this drive society tells women to have remains prominent. “Perception of overweight and dissatisfaction with body size, rather than actual weight appears to be a potent force behind girls’ dieting” (Ganesan S42). Women continuously focus on questions like; What should I weigh? What’s the perfect weight? Why don’t I look like her? How can I look like the people I see in magazines? Why don’t I look normal compared to the women I see in TV shows and movies?

Pressure of Society and Social Media

Women are constantly being compared to society’s expectations. Society and social media wants women to be thin, but curvy. To be beautiful, but not too beautiful. To have flawless skin and teeth. To be tall, but not too tall and not too short. Society puts an insane pressure on women to be the “perfect woman” when that doesn’t exist. Magazines and TV filled with wafer thin women set the standard for young girls from the beginning that this is what you have to look like to be considered beautiful. The negative body image that women have today results from the media, because we don’t realize that photoshop and altering comes along with every picture of a model in a magazine. Women aren’t told about the editing of pictures or the outrageous diets celebrities are put on because of society’s and social media’s outlook on the “perfect body”.

Self-Esteem in Men

Many think that only women have negative body image issues. That women are the only ones who battle with self-esteem issues. Women are the only ones who care about what they look like. However, studies show that “between 2.4 and 3.6 million men suffer from eating disorders today” (Mirror 2). Men, like women, are also continuously exposed to the unrealistic idea of the “perfect body”. Men also struggle with the idea that if they don’t live up to the extreme measure of attractiveness then women will not want to be with them. Men battle with self-esteem issues due to things such as losing hair, not having abs, not being muscular, and not being good at sports. Physical attraction is just as important to men as it is to women and many people in today’s society seems to forget that men suffer from the idea of a perfect body as well. Men persistently grow up with numerous critiques about their bodies and appearance, especially if they are in sports. Continuously being compared to others on their teams or other teams hinders their body image greatly.

Health issues and eating disorders. Unfortunately, some take more extreme measures than others to fit society’s perfect view. Sudhir Prabhu, who specializes in eating disorders, states “In the race to get more attractive, youngsters resolve to unhealthy diets. Failure to reach satisfactory results may lead to depression” (Prabhu 146). Not only does having a negative body image affect the way someone feels about themself, but it can also lead to very dangerous and serious dietary issues. Bulimia and anorexia are very serious eating disorders that shouldn’t be as common as they are in today’s world. People take very serious risks to be the perfect weight such as, binge eating and starvation. While all ages, sexes, and societies are similarly in danger for serious health matters, there are customarily unique triggers that are the cause of them. Self-acceptance and body issues are the primary cause that leads to health risks such as bulimia, anorexia, and depression.

Conclusion

Along with depression, eating disorders, and other mental disorders, body image problems can affect us just as badly. Having a problem accepting yourself and the way you look can have long term consequences. Eating disorders and depression is extremely hard to fight off and can cause separation in relationship with families, peers, partners etc. Having an eating disorder and/or depression can not only cause issues with people, but it can also lead to death. Body positivity is extremely important. The body positive development is making incredible steps to advance size variety and a more beneficial body image for everyone. It is vital that we keep on grasping and emphasizing the acceptance of body variety. While we, as a whole, may have our awkward and clumsy days when we don’t feel the best in our bodies, the way to creating self-confidence is to accept our current body shapes and figure out how to push the negative body image away and replace it with positive body image. This will better society and help improve the way we feel about ourselves.