The present day adolescent female is more often than not found to be obsessed with body image. It is a scary world filled with eating disorders, ideals of body image that can never be reached, and early sexual maturation that female adolescents do not know how to deal with. It is very sad that so much has changed in our society to make young girls think that the size of their body or complexion of their skin determines who they are and what their life will be like. We can only hope that changes will be made to bring back the old-fashioned focus on internal character and bring girls away from this devastating and sometimes life-threatening focus on external body image.
Historical Look at Body Image Issues
In her book, "The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls," Joan Jacobs Brumberg discusses the many troubles and tribulations that females have experienced in both the past and present in an attempt to have the perfect body. Brumberg also points out the many ways that girls goals for their bodies have changed throughout the years, focusing on the Victorian era when girls were more preoccupied with their internal character, and then on the present day where girls now focus on their external physical appearance.
The Role of the Advertising Industry
The advertising industry has shamefully taken advantage of a young girls preoccupation with body image by continually coming up with more quick fixes for natural biological occurrences. They seem to know exactly what areas to market that will lure young girls into a vicious cycle of buying products that won't fix their problems. They convince girls that they need special skin care products and foundation garments as well as certain types of feminine products to make themselves perfect, flawless and attractive.
When girls flip through magazines, they see beautiful women depicted as teeny tiny models with a body composition that may be nearly impossible to achieve. Most of these magazines almost entirely ascribe to ways to improve yourself, leaving the adolescent to stare into a mirror searching for flaws. Topics discussed on most television programming revolve around body image and references to premarital sex and its acceptance in our society.
The Damage Has Been Done, Now What?
Decades of media portrayals that display "beautiful women" who are as thin as a rail and airbrushed magazines that show flawless skin and physique have done so much damage to the body image of today's adolescent. The process toward recovery begins with parents and teachers, who must not pass down their own body image issues to the young people of today. Teaching healthy eating habits and making exercise a priority for the whole family should bring a sense of well-being to both parents and their children.
Adolescents should be taught to respect themselves for who they are and develop a healthy sense of self that is not focused on issues such as the size of their jeans or complexion of their skin. Cutting down on exposure to this type of media, combined with a positive and supportive family unit will hopefully help the young women of tomorrow find the exceptional qualities from within themselves as opposed to obsessing with the exterior and less important aspect of who we are as contributing members of society.
Sources:
- Brumberg, J. J. (1997). The body project: an Intimate History of American Girls. New York: Random House.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
Elizabeth Purdy - Elizabeth Purdy is a stay at home mom to two darling boys, one who suffers from life-threatening food allergies. Elizabeth holds a ...
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