A woman's body image encompasses her physical appearance, size, and shape. Marcia Hutchinson, author of the book Transforming Body Image, states, "Our body image is formed out of every experience we have ever had - parents, role models, and peers who give us an idea of what it is like to love and value a body. Image is formed from the positive and the negative feedback from people whose opinions matter to us. It is also the way we ourselves have perceived our body to fit or not fit the cultural image."
Many women have a distorted perception of what their bodies look like. They may look in the mirror and see a larger body than the one that they have. Large thighs, large buttocks, and a rounded abdomen may lead to distress for some women. Not fitting into the "cultural ideal" may cause body dissatisfaction in others. James Rosen, Ph.D. from the University of Vermont, has done studies indicating that women are "most dissatisfied with the parts of their bodies between their waist and their knees." The fastest growing medical specialty is cosmetic surgery, liposuction being the most common type of cosmetic surgery.
Pre-adolescent and early adolescent girls are repeatedly told that they must adapt to socially acceptable norms. These norms include so-called "feminine" qualities: compliance, taking care of others, subduing their independent voices, and, of course, looking good (Gilligan et al.)1. Since a woman's sense of self is so influenced by how she sees herself in relationships, she puts extra effort in trying to be the person she thinks others want her to be. Gilligan, et al. empahsizes the "loss of autonomous voice" that happens around age 13. Peers play an important role in this. Being accepted means adapting to one's perception of the expectations of one's peers--or at least it feels that way. And of course sexuality enters in--feeling attractive also means gaining the desired person's attention.
Body Image includes more than weight. The cosmetics industry tries to sell us the idea that we need to improve our skin tone, hair color, and hair style. The clothing industry tells us each year that, to look good, we need to change our wardrobes.
A body image that's unrealistic, exploitive, and unhealthy.
She's skinny, perfectly proportioned-with beautiful hair, glowing skin, fabulous makeup, and the best clothes that money can buy. This may be an ideal that some of us strive to achieve. But it sets a standard that leaves most of us feeling inadequate and unsatisfied with the bodies that we have. Whatever our beliefs about the exploitation of women, we must all be aware that society - and especially the media - portray an image of women that is both unrealistic and potentially unhealthy for the vast majority of women.
The billion-dollar diet industry tells us constantly in many ways that we need to lose weight. They say that with the proper help- and at the proper price-we can achieve what each weight-loss program has to offer. Yet evidence indicates that weight loss through dieting is almost always put back on. And the original weight is often exceeded. We know all this. Yet many women continue to strive to look like the person we think we want to be. Maybe if we can just lose the weight, we will be a "success." We'll be the attractive person others want to be with. Secure. Sexy. Professional. And more. What we aren't good at telling ourselves is that we can be sexy, professional, and self-assured without relentlessly driving ourselves to be thin. In fact, we're okay the way we are. (excerpt from the Eating Concerns Committee Booklet, Stone Center)
[See Reference Page for footnotes]
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