Your Body, Your Reality | Teen Ink

Your Body, Your Reality

November 19, 2014
By Sofiamesa12 BRONZE, Bogota, Other
Sofiamesa12 BRONZE, Bogota, Other
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I wish there was someone to say, I'm proud of you and I got your back. No matter what." - Stick it


Stereotypes are the worst thing that could happen to a person/culture, country or a situation. Something that is a very present as a stereotype in the world is the desire of being skinny and pretty. This idea of a perfect body affects incredibly a very big percentage of the world. It is clearly seen in young girls who fear not being good enough for a guy. This stereotype of a Barbie, the perfect woman, perfect body, thin, toned, and pretty faced, has affected not only small girls but older, mature women as well. Females are not the only ones struggling with this problem, men also fear being called “fat” or not ''muscular enough''. Just using the words “fat” “thin” “ugly” “pretty” and other descriptive words shows the huge problem that our society has.

We have all been taught or shown what “beauty” is all about. We have been thought that beauty comes with the image of the perfect woman, a doll-type kind of woman. But the reality is body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females. They are following a goal almost impossible, an incredibly insane objective where they are risking everything. People are greatly affected by what other people think or say about them, they aren’t able to see the beauty of their lives, they can’t appreciate all the good that surrounds them because they think they know they are not enough. People suffer, and create an unhealthy situation to their mind and body just to get to that “reality” that point where they think they are good enough based on what fashion magazines and judgemental people say. 47% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures. How can pictures in magazines, and words from a "fashion professional" affect girls from such a young age. Mortifying them with that false reality of beauty. 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner and 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat, How is it possible for small girls to focus on that? How can their parents even let them worry for something that shouldn't be as important as everyone is giving it credit for.

This stereotype takes people to another level, they just go over whatever and take any decision just to achieve that goal. For what? Just to "fit in" into society? It is crazy how people can risk everything just to please others. Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder and most of them will be linked with these people having a disagreement and a disgust with their body type. Girls, grown women, boys and men, starve themselves, just to get skinny and pretty, they ignore all the medical risks they are taking. Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents. How can't people notice this is happening to young kids. Why are we not doing anything to stop it from happening?

The world has gone into their heads convincing them they are not perfect, that they have to be the same as a doll, or as a photoshopped model in a fashion magazine. The problem is that no one has been able to reteach and implement the truth behind beauty. We have been all tricked into think what beauty is all about, but let me tell you, it is a lie. No one, can judge who is pretty, ugly, fat or skinny. People need to understand all bodies are different and that we can't live and base our lives in a model, in and idea of beauty. We all have to understand as well, that we have to appreciate our lives, and accept our conditions, we can't change everything, and most of the things ( physical ) shouldn't be changed.   

All statistics taken from http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/



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