The Media and Body Image

Women are often bombarded by fictitious media images about their lives and bodies. We often find ourselves subscribing to a lifestyle which only relates to a small minority. We are aware of these impossibilities yet we continue to strive to be 5’10”, legs to there, and a size 4.

In the book, The Body Wise Woman, co-authored by Judy Mahle Lutter and Lynn Jaffee, brilliant examples of how society has shaped our body image are described. For example, in some societies, a robust woman is viewed as being fertile and therefore admired. In the North American culture, however there exists an obsession to be thin and fit. “Thinness is associated with high social class, with success, and with the ability to attract a man. The standard of white female beauty has become more narrowly defined and restrictive, making it nearly impossible to be thin enough, fit enough, or young enough.” Society sets such high and unrealistic standards that no one can really fit the mold of the ideal beauty.

I find this text excerpt interesting being that the majority of women on the covers of high fashion magazines are white, but still the average white North American woman yet alone women of other American cultures, can never truly attain this “ideal” image of beauty without anguish, frustration, and/or disappointment. These “media standards of beauty” are rarely obtained and should continue to receive criticism of how they are manipulating body image for many women who probably are already experiencing transitions and changes to their lifestyles for various reasons.

Women come in various shapes and sizes; this should be celebrated. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle with fitness, exercise and a good diet, you not only help protect yourself against diseases and increase your quality of life but it will also make you feel good about yourself.