Body Image And Media-The Fallacy Of Perfection

The Fallacy of Perfection

A real woman need not be defined by the size of her body, but by the extent of her character. It is becoming increasingly apparent in the world today that size is associated with beauty. There is an enormous amount of pressure on women and young girls to achieve “perfection”; there is no such thing. Perfection lies in a fantasy world, a figment of the imagination. The media constantly attempts to portray what is “perfect” as a goal that can be met, or something that should be possible to accomplish with enough hard work. After all, as Brown University states in their article on body image, people with thin and muscular bodies are often viewed as being beautiful, hardworking, and successful; those with undesirable body

This exposure to and idolization of the “perfect body” creates an unhappiness in women about their own bodies. It is in this way that poor body image has become an epidemic. Body image refers to how one perceives her own body, as well as how she feels others view her body. The media has grown and changed over recent years; no matter where one turns, she is constantly under the influence of societal pressures. Much like media pressures in the past, the ideal body that women are being brainwashed into thinking is “perfect” is utterly unrealistic. According to a study performed by Dittmar et al., unlike the past, however, women are, on average, getting heavier, while models are at the same time getting thinner, making the gap between fantasy and reality more than just a void (par. 3). The result is a psychological ailment that can turn into a physical issue if the woman acts upon her desires to be

In a personal story produced on the Project Heal organization website, the story of Kristina Saffran was shared. At age 10, the young girl developed anorexia nervosa; her weight loss was harsh and fast. Kristina had recovered by the time she reached middle school, but her battle was not over. Between the end of her eighth grade year and her sophomore year of high school, she was hospitalized four more times (“Kristina’s Story” par. 1-2). After her full recovery, Kristina spoke about her disorder. She recalls, “my eating disorder began, rather innocuously, as a way to make myself “perfect”” (“Kristina’s Story” par. 4). Disorders such as these cannot be completely prevented. However, it is in this ridiculous mindset that “perfect” is thin, and that everything else is flawed and shameful, that many body image issues are born. There should not be pressure to achieve an unhealthy lifestyle for which society deems to be beautiful. Young girls and women deserve more than to be picked apart and criticized to the point of harming