The Issues on Body Image

Nowadays people think of their “life meaning” as how they use their image; specifically their body image. People are highly dependent on how they look and treat people in accordance to how their appearance. Most people no matter the age face problems regarding their size and weight. Nobody should compare themselves or anyone else to others as everyone is different. Body image should not affect how others are treated nor should it affect their future.

More often than one might want to believe, especially in today’s society, people are discriminated against and shamed from parts of society just because of how they look. This affects people of all ages. Many children, teens, and adults get rejected from friendships or are avoided therefore bullied, solely because of appearance (Gagnon). Surprisingly, this is even present in the primary years of one’s life as many children between ages six to twelve are victims of social isolation (Gagnon). Even more shocking is that “[Eighty-one percent] of [ten]-year-old girls are afraid of being fat” (Riehle). They are just children and one, should not feel subject to that type of idea, and two, these children’s bodies are not done developing. This idea is just crazy. Likewise, the rate of “Among school-age children, the frequency of weight bullying has increased by [forty-one percent] since 1961” (Gagnon). What is this world coming too? People, especially children, should not have to be tormented nor should the thought arise for them to question their looks. Even the websites and sources people use to try and get help to this epidemic is giving off false advertisement; “One study that analyzed [fifty] “fitspiration” websites found parallel messages to pro-anorexia (pro-ana) websites, both of which contain hazardous messages that support eating disorders” (Cole). Sadly around one of four women have an eating disorder of some kind . To put this in perspective with a standpoint that is specific to both sexes one in three people battling an eating disorder is male. This is absolutely absurd how social issues, related to body image can cause -and have the ability to cause- disruptions among people and eating disorders.

What is the biggest, global trend that can harm societies? Social media causes or aids into the global epidemic on issues surrounding body image and appearance. The media has a massive impact on people who may be suffering from some of those issues in the paragraph above. A recent study survey revealed that eighty-eight percent of students, that answered, reported feeling bad about the way they looked because of something a “friend” said to them (Riehle). Who would have thought that the friends one grows close to can have a detrimental impact on one’s life. People are let down all of the time by people they once thought only wanted the best for them. Everything and anything has the ability to influence anyone. Modeling industries are a large cause for female body disorders as they wish to be like the girls they see on the television; “[sixty percent] of girls admit to comparing their bodies to fashion models” (Riehle). When people try to reach this idealistic and almost unattainable body image, health concerns arise. Comparing one’s body to what they see in the edited photos is really dangerous.

Cindy Cole wrote a list of dangerous trends that continuously circulate social media: ‘thigh gap,’ ‘bikini bridge,’ and ‘ribcage bragging.’ Ribcage bragging is the most dangerous. It is extremely unhealthy if one can see the details of their ribcage on the surface of the skin. This means that their skin is excessively thin and their organs are not protected and has potential to rupture super easily. Another negative impact of social media is that “many individuals have come to associate their self-worth with the number of ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ they might receive on posted images” (Cole). Media portrayals of overweight people are exceedingly rare and are almost always negative. This is true with people of almost any body shape and type such as catwalk models and movie stars all look pretty much the same from the neck down (Gavin). Even children as young as three are now picking up on how thin well known beloved Disney characters. How media portrays people and how exclusive it is to certain body types is not okay.

Essay on ‘The Decorated Body’ by France Borel

Introduction

In ‘The Decorated Body’ by France Borel, the author delves into the complex world of body modification and the ways in which individuals express their identities through various forms of decoration. This essay aims to provide a critical analysis of Borel’s work, exploring the themes of self-expression, cultural significance, and societal perceptions surrounding body decoration.

Body as a Canvas

One of the central ideas in ‘The Decorated Body’ is the concept of the body as a canvas for self-expression. Borel examines the diverse ways in which individuals choose to modify their bodies, whether through tattoos, piercings, scarification, or other forms of adornment. The author highlights the significance of these practices as a means of asserting personal identity, challenging societal norms, and reclaiming control over one’s own body.

Cultural Significance

Borel also explores the cultural significance of body decoration and its ties to specific communities and traditions. Throughout the text, she showcases various examples of body adornment from different cultures and time periods, shedding light on the deep-rooted meanings behind these practices. From indigenous tribes to contemporary subcultures, Borel emphasizes how body decoration serves as a powerful symbol of cultural identity and heritage.

Societal Perceptions and Stigmas

‘The Decorated Body’ critically examines society’s perceptions of body modification and the stigmas attached to individuals who engage in such practices. Borel challenges the notion that body decoration is merely a rebellious or deviant act, instead highlighting the artistic and personal significance behind these choices. She argues that societal judgment and misconceptions often stem from a lack of understanding and a narrow definition of beauty and acceptability.

Body as a Political Statement

The text delves into the political dimension of body decoration, suggesting that it can be a form of resistance against oppressive norms and power structures. Borel explores how marginalized groups and individuals use body modification as a means of reclaiming their bodies and challenging societal hierarchies. She argues that the act of transforming one’s body becomes a form of personal and political liberation.

Critique of Body Standards

In ‘The Decorated Body,’ Borel offers a critique of conventional beauty standards and the pressure to conform to a narrow definition of attractiveness. Through her exploration of body modification, she questions the prevailing notions of what is considered acceptable and challenges the idea that beauty should be standardized. Borel encourages readers to embrace diversity and celebrate the uniqueness of individual self-expression.

Conclusion

France Borel’s ‘The Decorated Body’ provides a critical examination of body decoration as a powerful form of self-expression, cultural significance, and resistance against societal norms. Through her exploration of diverse practices and perspectives, she highlights the importance of understanding and embracing the multifaceted nature of body modification. The text challenges readers to question their own perceptions, broaden their definitions of beauty, and recognize the deeply personal and political dimensions of body decoration. Ultimately, ‘The Decorated Body’ celebrates the richness of human diversity and the innate human desire for self-expression and autonomy.

Body Image of Dancers Essay

An ideal female ballet dancer will have large eyes, a long neck, long legs, a flexible back, a flat chest, lean muscles, lots of hip rotation, and a high instep. The catch is that most of these factors are completely or almost completely genetic or possibly forced.

This very specific and rarely natural image is perceived as the only correct image by ballet directors who hold an enormous amount of power over young aspiring ballerinas whom they pressure so much they end up destroying them. Ballerinas may develop an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, become insecure, have anxiety, and so on, only due to this immense pressure. All of that is a result of directors, whom we will refer to as the defectors.

The defectors have caused fourteen deaths in the past ten years. Approximately two ballerinas die every year due to body shaming and pressure, in particular, due to anorexia nervosa. The Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center released a report on the number of deaths from anorexia nervosa. Heidi Guenther’s name is part of the report. The defectors of the Boston Ballet have Heidi Guenther’s blood on their hands.

At a news conference last week in Boston, company officials said that two years ago Ms. Guenther, and another member of the Boston Ballet’s junior ensemble, had been encouraged by Anna-Marie Holmes, now the company’s defector, to lose five pounds. She lost the weight over a summer break and was then told not to lose more weight, they claim.

Following, Ms. Guenther was promoted to the senior company last September, she again began to lose weight, and she was told to ”be careful not to get too thin,” company officials claim. A spokeswoman for Ms. Guenther’s family said that she had planned to relax and gain weight during the summer. Yet Heidi did not make it to summer.

At Heidi’s death, she weighed only 42kg and was 167cm tall. ”She was smiley, bubbly,” Bruce Marks, defector emeritus of Boston Ballet says, ”That didn’t change. She was full of beans, full of life.” But supposedly there was recognition that she might have been having problems, he claims.

Therefore, the defectors made so many claims about how they were aware of the fact, that they noticed her losing weight abruptly. Yet they did not take serious action. All they did was tell her to be careful not to get too thin. What is considered ‘too thin’ for a ballerina?

A dancer can often feel like her weight is the one thing about her body that she CAN control. Regularly, young girls set foot in their first pre-professional or advanced dance company around the age of 12 or 13. This means that the pressure is on them to look and perform a certain way, just when their bodies are changing the most. Such young girls need nutritional guidance when they train like professional athletes daily, not careless lackadaisical defectors.

If you are not a ballerina, the average incidence of eating disorders in the white middle-class population is 1 in 100. Yet in classical ballet, it is one in five. The overall prevalence of eating disorders is 12.0% (16.4% for ballet dancers), 2.0% (4% for ballet dancers) for anorexia, 4.4% (2% for ballet dancers) for bulimia, and 9.5% (14.9% for ballet dancers) for eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS).

Dancers, in general, have a higher risk of suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and EDNOS, except bulimia nervosa. The study concluded that dancers have a three times higher risk of suffering from eating disorders. Therefore, specifically designed services for this population should be considered. Or else we will lose our ballerinas. This once again demonstrates the importance of the defectors changing their approach. Instead of pressuring young innocent girls, they should be giving them advice; and guidance, and most importantly, when they notice a potential eating disorder occurring they should seek immediate help or take action themselves.

Compared to the outdated approach of the defectors, the innovative younger adults still give us hope. Misty Copeland, the first black principal ballet dancer, fought her own battle with the stigma of body image for many years. As well as, Melissa Anduiza, from the Complexions Dance Company, has also been very vocal about her experiences looking different in the ballet world and the negative impact defectors had on her body.

These successful ballerinas have helped to open the conversation about what a “dancing body” REALLY should look like. They have helped young girls become confident about their bodies, just by sharing their experiences of insecurities. Their purpose is to inspire the upcoming dancers of our future by showing them there is always hope and okay to not have the “perfect ballerina” body as the defectors dictate.

You can also help build awareness just by simply looking out for people around you by being conscious and informed of what ballet dancers go through daily, to fulfill expected standards, due to the brutal reality of the inhuman defectors. Help the young ballerinas struggling with body image avoid any form of harm to their body by simply keeping their eyes wide open since their defectors seem to have turned to their blind spots.  

Synthesis Essay on Body Image

Body image consciousness is proven to be an important element in every individual’s perception of himself or herself. With this, body image is said to affect every aspect of an individual’s life such as their mental health, physical health, interaction with other people, and the care the individual has towards himself or herself. With this, the researcher aimed to determine the connection between body image consciousness and the health of an individual by finding the various effects body image consciousness may bring to the psychological health of an individual. To accomplish this, first, the researcher determined the differences between the two types of body image such as the positive and negative body image. Second, the researcher enumerated the various effects these two types of body image may have on an individual’s health. Lastly, the researcher gave her insights into the gathered results. In conclusion, the researcher discovered that there are both positive and negative effects of body image consciousness, however, this will always be dependent on what type of body image an individual perceives of himself or herself.

Introduction:

Have you ever experienced a time where you felt “unbeautiful” at the worst of times? Have you ever wanted to try or even tried changing something about your appearance because you felt like you didn’t fit in? or just ugly at all? Well if you did, let me be the first to tell you, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

According to the organization Good Therapy (2019), the term body image pertains to the mixture of a person’s mental picture of his or her outer looks which contains their size, figure, and looks, and a person’s behavior towards their outer looks which contains their thinking, sentiments and views towards their body.

However, a person’s body image may be influenced by several elements, such as family settings, abilities, disabilities, the behavior of friends, social media, cultural background, comparisons, and many more. (raisingchildren.net, 2019)

Through this, body image was further divided into the positive and the negative.

Positive body image pertains to the clear, precise, and authentic impression of a person on his or her shape and by seeing these external features for what they are. With a positive body image, a person may attain a sense of body satisfaction, which may make an individual more comfortable, confident, and accepting of one’s physical features.

In contrast, negative body image pertains to the distorted impression or discontentment of a person towards his or her body. With negative body image, a person may attain a sense of body dissatisfaction, which may make a person gain a feeling of shame, anxiety, self-consciousness, and many serious related illnesses. (National Eating Disorders Association, 2018)

In a survey conducted last March 2011, in a population of 300 women, it was discovered that over 97% of the population endures at least one negative body image consciousness every day.

Therefore, the continuously arousing number of individuals who go through body image consciousness through negative body image has led the researcher to formulate this paper which aims to identify the effects of body image consciousness on the psychological health of an individual.

Statement of the problem:

What are the effects of body image consciousness on the psychological health of an individual?

Review of related literature:

Health has been one of the most significant aspects of a living creature. It has made its marks in terms of importance through various facilities, organizations, and insurance that have been dedicated to health alone. In the Philippines, WHO is one of the most commonly known organizations dedicated to health.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is not limited to the absence of diseases or infirmities, rather, health is the complete utterance of physical, mental, and social well-being. With this, WHO has indicated that health has no limitations. It is indeed everything. In 2009, Health was further defined as the susceptibility to adjust to new threats and infirmities received by a person’s body (Medical News Today, 2009).

According to toppr.com, Health is influenced by three components, First, the environment. Cleanliness is a significant element of an individual’s health therefore, we must guarantee the proper collection and disposal of trash that could help eradicate health problems. Second, proper food intake. An individual must always be aware of the different components and nutritional benefits he or she is taking up on a day-to-day basis. Last, good economic conditions. One cannot possess a good lifestyle if he or she doesn’t have the means to buy and nurture care through different facilities, therefore, economic value is indeed a must for a healthy lifestyle.

According to the Grand Rapids Community College, there are seven dimensions of health:

    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Intellectual
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    • Environmental
    • Occupational

Health conscious is a term describing the attitude of an individual who has a strong awareness of the healthiness of his or her diet and lifestyle. (wordnik)

According to pdhpe (2015), mental health pertains to the cognitive aspects of an individual’s health, it is where an individual uses his or her brain capacity and thinks, it also helps an individual solve challenges and remember data.

According to WHO (2019), mental health is not bounded by the lack of cognitive problems alone, rather, it is the state of wellness wherein each person finds his or her strength and capabilities that can help him or her manage the average daily stresses and be abundant and efficient to the society.

With this, an increase in mental health can contribute to other dimensions of well-being as well. One, it can lead to a rapid increase in self-esteem wherein one’s mental performance may be enhanced. Second, it could also lead to greater confidence wherein one’s social health may also enhance. Last, it may lead to the questioning of existence wherein spiritual health may improve. (pdhpe, 2015) Mental health may also affect a person’s welfare, life, and connections. (Medical News Today, 2015)

According to pdhpe (2015), Emotional health refers to the ability of an individual to discover and express his or her feelings sufficiently and the capacity to uphold a realistic perspective on various situations one may encounter. It may also pertain to an individual’s mood, feelings, and overall emotional state as well.

Emotional health is an important aspect of overall wellness as well, it is said that a person can be considered an emotionally stable individual if he or she can acknowledge his or her emotions if they would be able to control their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors if they would be able to cope up with different challenges and bounce back from different life’s struggles. (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2017)

Being emotionally stable, an individual would be able to have the power to express his or her feelings without any constraints. Therefore, emotional stability will allow an individual to accept his or her feelings, understand himself or herself as well, and know the suitable response to those feelings and emotions. (The Regents of the University of California, 2019)

According to WHO (1999), A healthy lifestyle refers to a person’s lifestyle that reduces the chances of gaining diseases or dying at an early age. It also stresses the idea that not every disease or illness is preventable however, individuals may avoid this by having a healthier way of living which can also have an impact on the perspectives of other people as well.

A healthy lifestyle makes a person fit, energetic, and at a low risk of vulnerability to diseases. Foundations for a good health condition may include healthy nutrition, daily physical activities, enough sleep, and management of stress. (Clarke, 2019)

Therefore, a healthy lifestyle is an essential asset for lowering the prevalence and risk of health issues, for managing life’s irritants, and for the improvement of the welfare of an individual. Also, it is proven that the health of a person is strongly based on one’s daily habits. (Lewis, 2010)

A healthy lifestyle has an integral effect on a person. Therefore, the person must give importance to his or her measurement of mass, blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol since these are proven to be indicators for one’s definition of healthy. (Wikipedia, 2019)

Body image is defined to be the perceived look an individual has about their body. It consists of the ideal look the individual has in mind, it could either match a person’s current looks or not. (raisingchildren.net.au, 2019)

This also pertains to the mixture of a person’s mental picture of his or her outer looks which contains their size, figure, and looks, and a person’s behavior towards his or her outer looks which contains their thinking, sentiments, and views towards their body. (Good Therapy Organization, 2019)

Therefore, this is related to the perceived exterior features and sentiments a person has towards their exterior image. This is usually identified by four elements. First, by how a person views their figure, which may either be an accurate or inaccurate representation of one’s image. Second, by how a person feels about their figure, which usually contains the average contentment or discontentment the individual feels about his or her figure, mass, and body parts. Third, how a person thinks about their body figure as their cognitive figure, usually leads to one’s obsession with his or her total mass and figure. Fourth, a person’s behavior in which they choose to engage with their outer looks, may lead to a favorable or unfavorable result that may either result in isolation or contentment of an individual. (McShirley, 2015)

Positive body image pertains to the clear, accurate, and authentic perception of a person’s figure or the individual’s way of seeing various parts of his or her body as they are. Further, this involves the feeling of confidence and comfortableness in one’s appearance, acceptance of one’s authentic body shape and size, and the recognition that one’s character and values are more important than his or her exterior features. (National Eating Disorders Association, 2018)

Creating a positive body image requires the ability to integrate one’s emotions about his or herself with the words and messages that he or she gets from other people’s mouths.

In applying a positive body image reflection, an individual needs three various factors such as a positive attitude, which may come from an individual’s self-acceptance of his or her different strengths and limitations. A high self-esteem may come from how an individual treasures the appreciation and entertainment of other people towards his or her personality, company, and contributions. Last, emotional stability, comes from the ability to maintain a connection with one’s emotions, opinions, and desires while engaging with other people. (Halsted, 2016)

Negative body image refers to the distorted impression or discontentment of an individual towards his or her body. Further, this involves feelings of shame, anxiety, and self-consciousness. Usually, the people who typically experience a high level of body discontentment feel their bodies are very imperfect when compared to other people’s bodies. Also, these individuals are more likely to experience feelings of isolation, depression, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. (National Eating Disorders Association, 2018)

A negative body image can occur when a person feels that his or her looks do not pass the standards of what society, media, family, and friends envision.

Individuals who usually experience this perceive impractical perceptions of themselves. Actual mass typically doesn’t correlate with negative body image since individuals who have an average body mass index or BMI may see himself or herself as fat or thick.

Some individuals even establish a body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), this illness makes an individual perceive his or her body or a part of their body as disfigured or flawed that needs a “body correction” through various surgeries. (Eating Disorder Hope, 2019)

According to the website Perspectives of Troy (2019), negative body image may lead to negative effects such as emotional distress, low self-esteem, unhealthy diet habits, anxiety, depression, various eating disorders, drug usage, social withdrawal, or isolation, an increase in the risks of sexual health, self-harming behaviors and the withdrawal from behaviors and activities that may require the exposure of one’s body.  

Persuasive Essay on Body Image and Self Esteem

Introduction

Body image and self-esteem have long been known to be associated with several salient issues for different groups of people, either among women, those who have excessive body weight, adolescents, and transgendered people, among others. The concept of body image affects people throughout their lives, with many of the affected groups showing that they are not satisfied with the physical appearance of their bodies. Merah et al. (129) define body image as a mental image of one’s own body. Further, this image is influenced by an individual’s perceptions and physical as well as emotional sensations coupled with physiological and emotional changes that one passes through as one grows and socializes. In this process of growth and socialization, different agents and institutions, including school, family, peers, and media, serve an important role in developing this image. Body image often changes depending on a person’s environment and experiences. On the above basis, this study seeks to research two groups of people, the first is the women who do plastic surgery to enhance their beauty, and the second group is transgender. In essence, the paper will discuss how women undergo plastic surgery and also how transgender enhance their body image so they can make themselves feel better. With the above regard, the paper will argue that body image seems to have become a critical issue among some women and transgender, and thus artificial beauty and gender identity need more medical focus to help these groups build the body image and self-esteem they desire.

Women and Body Image

Some women have always hated the appearance of their bodies and in response look for ways to change their appearance so they look the way they desire. With the above regard, aesthetic surgery has taken a significant position in medicine as a way in which women change how they look. Aesthetic surgery, mostly plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery, is work performed by clinical practitioners (Tambone et al. 517). Evidence-based medicine is considered one of the reliable scientific paradigms for practical perspectives and epistemology. Aesthetic surgery is also another concept that has found its roots in evidence-based medicine, where it provides the basis for both theoretical and practical levels to perform aesthetic surgery. This is the reason why aesthetic surgery is today considered part of medical science. In essence, the notion of beauty has recently taken a significant part in aesthetic surgery.

Cosmetic surgery

Most of the women who perhaps do not have self-esteem due to the shape and appearance of their bodies would seek plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery so they can change their body shape into what they desire or rather what they would consider their ideal selves.

Many of the women today would be willing to have surgery to improve their appearance or to become more beautiful. Cosmetic surgery has allowed people to restore or enhance their physical appearance through medical and surgical techniques (Furnham et al. 47). Society’s focus on appearance has been increasing, and since plastic surgery has been widely accepted, women are easily tempted to go for surgery to change how they look. For instance, women are more eager to increase the size of their breasts or even to reduce body fat as they seek to be the ideal women desired by society. Many procedures are available today that can be used to alter people’s body parts as well as facial characteristics.

Many women, therefore, have taken plastic surgery as a method to get instant gratification, particularly among those who are dissatisfied with the way their bodies look before surgery. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery suggests that the most common types of surgical procedures include breast augmentation, liposuction, eyelid surgery, and nose surgery. Women have long performed plastic surgery to change their perceived flaws or even fight the natural aging progression in an attempt to look younger. To a greater extent, technological advances that have resulted in less-invasive procedures have made both surgical and non-surgical procedures attractive to the public. One question that remains to be answered is whether plastic surgery used by women has addressed their concerns about body image.

Impacts of cosmetic surgery

It is argued that plastic surgery, to a greater extent, has helped to fix poor body image and boost a person’s low self-esteem. Women who used to struggle with negative body image have used plastic and cosmetic surgery to change things they did not like about their bodies. Women have been pushed by a society saturated with images of the expectations of what female bodies should look like. Plastic surgery has, therefore, been used largely by women to change some of their body organs to meet societal expectations. Nonetheless, plastic surgery procedures or even cosmetic surgery cannot help a person heal from their emotional distress or pain; rather, they just help them fix their physical appearance.

Transgender and body image

Transgender people are another group that is recognized to be having big problems with their body image, In fact, Voort (2) suggests that transgender people perhaps have complicated body image, since it is significantly more severe for them since the feeling that they are not congruent to being either man or woman constantly haunts them. In essence, gender is considered a social construct not similar to sex, which is one’s biological anatomy. The transgendered people, therefore, have a sense that their identity does not correspond with their sex. Transgendered people, therefore, try different gender expressions. For instance, they can choose the kind of clothes they like to wear that makes them comfortable, perhaps so they can consistently present themselves as males or females according to societal norms. Body image, therefore, plays an important role in how this group would express their gender. Alberse et al. (390) suggest that transgender people mostly have a negative or uncomfortable relationship with their bodies as compared to non-transgender.

Medical interventions

Medical interventions also exist to help individuals with distress about their gender identity. These can comprise psychological interventions, surgical/physical, or even hormonal interventions. Transgendered people can be referred to transgendered clinics for therapy. This group of people suffers from psychological distress due to the negative body image and low self-esteem, and thus they can go for psychotherapy that focuses on self-confidence that could help them prevent social isolation (Alberse et al. 399). Additionally, transgender people can use hormones as part of their medication. Hormonal therapy plays a significant role in helping individuals to cope. For instance, hormones can be administered to shift the body more to the traditional feminine or masculine form. Testosterone can be administered to activate facial air, deepen voice, or even redistribute body fat. Using progesterone, on the other hand, can stimulate breast growth, soften skin, and reduce body air. Individuals can stop using these hormones once they have achieved certain desired goals (Office of Justice Programs). Hormonal therapy and psychotherapy are some of the methods used to deal with body image problems among transgendered people.

Conclusion

To this end, the concept of body image and self-esteem has been discussed. The women who go for plastic surgery and transgender have been discussed in detail, and they struggle with body image. Medical interventions such as plastic surgery, psychotherapy, and hormonal therapy can play a vital role in helping these groups of people build their self-esteem and the body image they desire.

Works Cited

    1. Alberse, Anne-Marie E., et al. ‘Self-perception of transgender clinic referred gender diverse children and adolescents.’ Clinical child psychology and psychiatry 24.2 (2019): 388-401.
    2. Furnham, Adrian, and James Levitas. ‘Factors that motivate people to undergo cosmetic surgery.’ Canadian Journal of Plastic Surgery 20.4 (2012): 47-50.
    3. Sarwer, David B., and Heather M. Polonsky. ‘Body image and body contouring procedures.’ Aesthetic Surgery Journal 36.9 (2016): 1039-1047.
    4. Souad, Merah, et al. ‘Cosmetic Surgery and Body Image in Adolescents: A Psycho-Sociological Analysis of the Causes and Effects.’ (2018).
    5. Tambone, Vittoradolfo, et al. ‘How you become who you are: a new concept of beauty for plastic surgery.’ Archives of plastic surgery 42.5 (2015): 517.
    6. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, “Statistics: Top 5 Procedures: Surgical and Nonsurgical” http://www.surgery.org/sites/default/files/2014-Top5.pdf Accessed 25 June 2015
    7. Office of Justice Programs. Transgender-Specific Issues. June 2014. https://www.ovc.gov/pubs/forge/transgender_physical.html. 21 Nov 2019.
    8. Voort, Martie van der. Queer Body Image. 30 Jan 2019. https://www.edcatalogue.com/queer-body-image/. 21 Nov 2019.

 

Positive Body Image Essay

This research is about the possible factors affecting one’s body image. Degree of religiosity and Parental and peer influence are the two factors being considered. Since the study is correlational, ‘body image’ is the criterion variable, and ‘degree of religiosity’ and ‘parent and peer influence’ are the two predictor variables. For the research study, variables such as the age and geographical area of the participants were controlled, however, several extraneous variables such as gender, type of religion followed, cultural differences, educational background, and family environment still exist.

Body image is an integral part of an individual’s overall growth. Many factors such as puberty, exposure to social media and films, environment, and culture affect an individual’s body image, although, family systems, peers and their feedback as well as one’s religious teachings seem to be the most immediate ecosystems that contribute to body image (Akira Sai, 2018) (Yom, 2011). Body image also in turn affects other growth factors of an individual’s personality such as self-esteem (David Mellor, 2010), psychological well-being (Paul H. Delfabbro, 2011), resilience (Robert J. McGrath, 2009), and greater life satisfaction (West, 2018).

Being such an important essence of an individual, body image concerning parent-peer influence and religion has mostly only been studied in Christian, Jewish, Muslim (Yael Sidi, 2019), and Turkish (Sarah Demmrich, 2017) women. The introduction of this field of research in India is vital since India is a diverse country in terms of religions. India is also, recently, striking a balance between being a country that celebrates collectivistic culture, thus placing importance on family systems and family values, and also changing rapidly to adapt to the modern generation to provide the youth with greater freedom and independence, placing importance on friendships, relationships and finding meaning and engagement in work. (Sinha, 2004)

This research will explore how body image is formed through the degree of religiosity and parent-peer influence in 18- to 26-year-old males and females in India.

Body image

Body image is how an individual perceives their body. Their thoughts, perceptions, and attitudes about their physical appearance make up body image. Several variables affect an individual’s body image.

Body image can be positive as well as negative. Positive body image is a clear, true perception of your shape; seeing the various parts of your body as they are. Body positivity (or body satisfaction) involves feeling comfortable and confident in your body, accepting your natural body shape and size, and recognizing that physical appearance says very little about one’s character and value as a person.

A negative body image, on the other hand, involves a distorted perception of one’s shape.

Negative body image (or body dissatisfaction) involves feelings of shame, anxiety, and self-consciousness. People who experience high levels of body dissatisfaction feel their bodies are flawed in comparison to others, and these folks are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. (NEDA, n.d.)

Some research suggests that body image may be conceived as a loose mental representation of the body that is influenced by at least 7 sets of factors. These sets are the history of sensory input to body experience, the history of weight change fluctuation, cultural and social norms, individual attitudes to weight and shape, cognitive and affective variables, individual psychopathology, and biological variables. (Slade, 1994)

For this study, however, body image focuses on thoughts, beliefs, and conceptual aspects of an individual’s body experiences in five different domains – body acceptance, sexual fulfillment, physical contact, vitality, and self-aggrandizement. (Mia Scheffers, 2017)

Research suggests body image development begins during the preschool years and perhaps even during infancy (Smolak, December 2012). A healthy body image during early years can lay a foundation for strong mental health in later, adult years.

Degree of religiosity

Religion is another such aspect of life that an individual closely interacts with. Religion is often defined as a particular system of faith and worship, a superhuman controlling power. The terms religiousness and religiosity are used interchangeably but are often defined as an individual’s conviction, devotion, and veneration towards a divinity. (Stephen Gallagher, 2013)

In difficult times, people often find solace through religion and prayer since it offers a sense of meaning and purpose to the situation, thus making it a positive coping mechanism.

Religion, when looked at from a neutral point of view, can give a person, certain morals and set of standards to live by. These can include daily routines, diets, exercise routines, work ethic, social guidelines, and many more such support systems. Many religions also encourage the thought that in every individual, resides God, which leads to individuals willingly taking care of their body and developing a positive body image. (Odoms-Young, 2008) The degree to which an individual believes and has faith in their religion will affect largely whether or not they follow religious practices.

Parent and peer influence

When it comes to parental and peer influence, it is undeniable that both are an important aspect of an individual’s overall growth. Since they form the closest circle that interacts with the individual most often, they unknowingly affect the individual’s thoughts, actions, and habits. In the early years of an individual’s life, parents choose their children’s clothing style and by adolescence, they may seem critical of what the adolescent might choose to wear or carry themselves which may be dependent on their peer influence. (Marita McCabe, 2001)

In addition to that, body image is a sensitive area for many teenagers and young adults. In such cases, it becomes important to know how parents and peers are influencing an individual’s body image and to what extent, whether one influences it positively or negatively. Often, many parents express concern over the growing influence of peers on an adolescent’s family values and personal morals. (Biddle, 1980)

Research on peer versus parent influence has been contradictory. Some research suggests that adolescents’ parents and peers provide competing messages about norms and rules, while other research suggests that parents and peers provide compatible messages. (Biddle, 1980)

This research will help answer the question as to whether body image is influenced by parents and peers, and if so, to what extent either of the two influence one’s perception of their own body?

Statement of the problem and need for the study

The possibility of parents and peers influencing body image will firstly, bring about a lot more awareness of the issues around body image. Body shaming will be discouraged more strongly among peers. Developing a positive body image will become one of the important goals of communication between parents and children. More focus will be put on encouraging body-positive attitudes rather than body shaming or critically judging one another’s bodies.

Secondly, a strong positive body image also goes on to affect other areas of a person’s life, such as their self-esteem and confidence (Lucie Baker, 2009). This will, in turn, cultivate better relationships with family and friends encouraging not only body image-related positive attitudes, but greater life satisfaction as well. The effect of positive body attitudes on relationships in life, work, and life satisfaction can be an area to be studied in the future.

Similarly, if religion proves to be contributing to greater acceptance and satisfaction of body image, those following religious practices may find greater sense in their practice and preaching.

People who do not necessarily follow religious practices can also read through texts that seem to give certain guidelines or routines for work, exercise, and meals.

It may encourage people to reach and understand their roots while also realizing their importance and unconscious effect on their thoughts. Concerning positive body image due to religiosity, variables such as hope (Ilanit Hasson-Ohayon, 2009), life satisfaction (Saeed Pahlevan Sharif, 2021), gratitude (Lambert, 2009), and forgiveness (Ji-yeon Lee, 2021) can be measured.

Thus, the first objective of the research is to study the relationship between the degree of religiosity and body image in young adults in India.

The second objective is to study the relationship between parent and peer influence and body image in young adults in India.

Research Question

The research will first attempt to answer the question- ‘Does a higher degree of religiosity impact body image in Indian young adults?’

The second question that the study will attempt to answer is- ‘Is body image in Indian young adults affected by parent and peer influence?’

Hypothesis

A higher degree of religiosity will be positively correlated to body image in young adults in India.

Parent and peer influence will be positively correlated to body image in young adults in India.

Summary

Since body image is an important factor contributing to an individual’s essence and mental health, it is important to understand how our most immediate environmental systems- our religions and our family and friends, create and cultivate a particular body image perception.

Persuasive Essay on Media and Body Image

Abstract

High beauty standards and food disorders have always been a concern for many generations. Numerous studies have examined how the traditional media has impacted the body images of many populations for a long time. Recently, that research has focused on the effects of Social Media and its contributions to body image. Research and analysis of various variables can help in the study and understanding of how social media platforms impact the daily lives of individuals. Data collection was achieved using questionnaires distributed both physically and online to participants and collected after the deadline had elapsed for analysis.

Introduction

Many people socialize, and network using social media platforms and networking sites, People between the ages of 18-25 comprise the most significant social media users (Statistics Brain, 2014). Over half the population of the United States of America has access to a social networking platform. Social media is a standard and essential mode of communication globally among family, friends, and businesses (Dittmar, 2009).

Social media platforms like Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram possess a powerful presence in many people’s lives worldwide. Facebook is currently leading in terms of usage, and the rest are not far behind. Mobile devices have radicalized and unimaginably changed the digital environment. Accessibility and ease of usability have transformed the use of social media into a constant, habitual behavior (Kalnes, 2013). Users can take their devices wherever they go making them constantly up to date. Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are powerful platforms that focus on content and image sharing. The influence of these sites is enormous, and the posted images can mislead or encourage harmful practices to fit in or conform (Tiggemann, 2006). The study will focus on how social media sites impact the body image of adolescents and female adults.

Users interact through smart gadgets and devices. Commercial enterprises use social media platforms to discover and interact with customers, promote and advertise products, assess customer trends and developments, and offer customer service and assistance (Festinger, 1954). Social media has influenced both online and physical interactions. It has created a global village and simplified communications

With its far-reaching implications, social media has also shaped a notion about appearance and beauty, promoting a culture of slim, slender females and masculine men. People are copying online lifestyles, putting heavy pressure on themselves, groups, and society at large. Studies are now linking social media and how individuals perceive themselves, dress, eat, or interact with Kalnes (, 2013). It is well known that how you become aware of your physique may no longer be the fact. People copy and imitate what they see. Others modify their expectations based on how others appear and their activities on social media platforms. The images viewed on social media platforms and interactions shape your self-perception, either positively or negatively. There is constant pressure on people to look a certain way. Enthusiasts of the perfect body are always determined to achieve their goals by any means necessary. They could purge their body, restrict their diets, go through extensive periods of fasting, or put themselves through induced vomiting to achieve their desired outcome Bordo, S. (1993). From childhood, we are educated on the need to care for our bodies. As we grow, our bodies develop requirements. As individuals grow, we are judged by our appearance and introduced into the social fabric of conformity and fitting in, learning that thinness is valued and appreciated Kalnes (, 2013).

Sites like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram exploit the usability and appeal of digital image content and social media (Tiggemann, 2006). They employ elaborate presentation mechanisms and click baits to attract or divert attention to the intended product or service. Online users can like and share the images. These sites promote stereotyped forms and shapes that influence the primary user in one way or another.

Body image is a part of an individual’s identity. It is how people view themselves.

The body image of a person offers identity and affects self-perception, self-esteem, and confidence. Low perception of one’s body image can lead to poor habits and behavior. Measures such as little to no food intake, fashion and sense of style, exercises, or plastic and cosmetic surgery are some of the practices individuals may adopt to cope with their situation (Dittmar, 2009). Women are made to learn from a young age that they have to be beautiful, appealing, and accepted by society. The beauty standards in the United States of America are based on having a slim or thin body for females or a masculine physique for men, creating a social comparison environment with adverse effects on individuals and society.

Body image is the belief and perception of oneself, how we feel and see ourselves. Studies have indicated, that victims of negative body image could hide their disorders and behaviors out of shame and embarrassment. Some people may withdraw from family members and peers to be alone. Women are the most affected by the negative effects of body image, unlike their male counterparts, mostly because women’s bodies are used more frequently in social media networks than male bodies. Standardized body images have a more significant effect on females than on males in terms of body satisfaction. Women are more dissatisfied and are more often concerned by weight and age (Dittmar, 2009). As a result, led to more research being focused and directed to gender. Among other effects of social media on body image, eating disorders affect millions of people on a global scale. Some people survive. Some fail to survive. Some individuals may die due to medical complications or, in extreme cases, commit suicide due to poor mental health. Effects of mental health can cause fatal health effects due to stress and strain on the heart or nutritional conditions. Body image conditions and disorders can strain body organs and psychological disturbances (Jones, 2001). Persons may experience irritability, a weak heart, depression, and insomnia, among other effects. Some disorders arise from poor body image. An individual may be dissatisfied with their body image and seek to change it. There are various options to choose from simplistic ways such as dieting and exercising to cosmetic and plastic surgery. They could further achieve their goal by using drugs, such as diet pills and steroids, or plastic and cosmetic surgeries.

A couple of factors contribute to negative body image. They include home, school, social context, mainstream, and social media. Females, in most cases, compare their bodies and their self-perception with that of people on both traditional and social media. Researchers have found that female bodies featured on social media platforms had smaller hips, waists, and medium busts than females not featured on social media platforms (Jones, 2001). As a result, most people researched were more likely to encourage or undertake cosmetic surgery. Social media platforms and other forms of media are responsible for these negative impacts, as they emanate from their oversaturation of messages about happiness and physical appearance. Social media networks and platforms can influence people’s thinking about themselves. Most people on social media pages appear to be thin models and physically fit (Jones, 2001). After a while, many people come to think and believe that most people are thin. Most of the women exposed to such images on social media come to accept what they see as reality and use it as a case study for their looks. These, in most scenarios, lead to dissatisfaction and depression.

Most women strive to achieve the perfect body based on femininity and beauty, making it a constant challenge since it requires a lot of work to craft the perfect body. The images presented on social media platforms offer a reference point for anyone interested in altering their appearance. Most people tend to think they have to capture all displayed elements to achieve their goal. Body image represents a wide range of attributes: shape, weight, hair, face body, and degree of visible muscle and fat. It could also represent comfort, emotions, and memories of how individuals feel about themselves. The female body shown in social media promotes thin bodies as attractive and fat bodies as repulsive. Most people are unhappy with their bodies.

The effects of the internet leading to obesity among children and adults have posed a vital question to most researchers. It is highly accessible and easy to use. To those suffering from body image disorders and health issues, the internet offers a valuable tool for information on how to maintain their disorder, connect with other users, or find tricks and tips on how to deal with their situation. The chance to mingle and connect with people experiencing similar conditions can bring relief and comfort to those suffering from the effects of body image.

Online interactions with strangers may give a sense of security to those suffering from the effects of negative body image to share deeply personal information while maintaining their anonymity.

Research on men suffering from poor body image is limited. Part of the reason for this is, that it is unlikely men will recognize they are suffering from poor and unhealthy body image. Moreover, they are less likely to seek help and guidance if they recognize and acknowledge they have an unhealthy body image. It is hence, hard to research this area in men. This study, therefore, focuses on young female adults and how social media contributes to their body image.

People tend to compare themselves with others. The comparisons help them discern their characteristics and as case studies improve on their shortcomings. Comparisons can be made with or without intent in most cases and can impact positively and negatively. The resulting impacts can make an individual feel ashamed, guilty, or unhappy.

Satisfaction and a sense of self are essential for many individuals. Women are constantly pressured by society to achieve slim body types while men are encouraged to be masculine. People trying to conform to Western culture and the definition of beauty are preyed upon by social media marketers and promoters. They fall victim to well-calculated schemes and strategies that seek to control and dictate how one should look and appear. Women as young girls are trained and socialized to adopt this kind of practice to look like certain personalities or belong in a given category.

How Does Body Image Influence Mental Health: Essay

Throughout history, women have dealt with body image in a sense of violence trying to be the perfect figure that society portrays to be the “ideal woman”. Women who deal with serious conditions like breast cancer develop a negative perspective toward their body image due to the drawbacks of chemotherapy. This can be a form of violence for themselves trying to keep up their image and fight a deadly condition. Even within different cultures, women tend to have issues with their body image trying to fight the “ideal woman” society romanticizes while not going against their own culture.

Women who face a life-threatening disease can affect them physically and emotionally. While fighting breast cancer women face different issues during treatment to cure cancer. Body image has a large impact on their life. Overall women generally tend to be concerned with their appearance, weight, and body.

According to the article “Body Image Issues in Women with breast cancer” by Rebecca Helms, it stated that in 1987 Psychological Aspects of Breast Cancer found patients demonstrate self-depreciation, inadequate body image, and weight gain. Helms explained how weight changes in women with cancer. One condition that is very rare for women to come in contact with is cachexia, which is a “wasting” disorder that causes extreme weight loss and muscle wasting and can include loss of body fat despite maintaining a normal diet. Since it is a rare condition majority of the women who face breast cancer gain weight, at least 80% of the women do. For women gaining weight can hurt their self-esteem and undesirable rationales concerns. For example, they hurt quality of life, weight-related disorders, and breast cancer risk may increase.

Different types of treatments result in women who are fighting breast cancer gaining weight. One of them is adjuvant chemotherapy increases fat accumulation distributed in fat. Then there is hormone therapy which denies estrogen cells and results in weight gain. According to research, at least 1.3 women gain at least 10 pounds during the early stage of cancer. Due to adjuvant chemotherapy as a result sarcopenic obesity can occur which is “weight gain without concurrent gains in lean body mass”. During treatment, researchers noted that women who take their treatment with unrestrained and restrained diets gained weight. Therefore women with unrestrained diets used food as a coping mechanism for psychological distress.

Another effect that women with breast cancer are the loss or mutilation of the breast and hair can have negative psychosocial consequences. Hair can be very symbolic for a woman and has value in many cultures. It can affect them through their religious affiliation, beauty, gender, maturity, and age. For many women losing their hair and breasts can associated with a loss of sexuality, attractiveness, and individuality. Hair loss in a woman is a short-term effect, a lot of them use accessories to cope with baldness or take pride in having no hair as a symbol of fighting breast cancer. Now physical changes for example after breast surgery, can make women less comfortable with themselves. It can change the hormone level which may affect the patient’s sexual interest or response. As a result of women adjusting to their body will in treatment or after surgery for breast cancer they start to invest a lot of money into their appearance. Investment in body image can be a factor in emotional disturbance. Women pay a lot of attention to physical looks post-treatment and they have higher mental health difficulty than the ones that do not. Younger women cared more than older women. However, older women take longer to adapt to their bodies after the surgery.

One way that women who have cancer invest in their looks is through tattoos. After losing hair they also lose their eyebrows. After breast surgery, they also lose their areola. There are plenty of artists that help survivors of cancer fulfill that part they are missing. One of the most well-known artists Piret Aava created an empire dedicated to microblading eyebrows. Which is a semi-tattoo by disposing of pigment just beneath the outer layers of the skin. She then was inspired by tattoo artist Amazink’s 3D semi-permanent tattoos mimicking the areola for survivors of breast cancer. During breast reconstruction, women usually have the option to not include the areola or nipple. Nipple reconstruction is one option for survivors to keep a similar feel of the breast. The results never come out the same or still look a little different. Tattoo artist Aava believes that tattooing the areola is the most natural option to have a similar effect on the reconstruction of the breast. She learned to recreate the areola through several courses and lots of practice. She mentioned that the three-dimensional areola is very realistic and that to distinguish that it is a flat image you have to come up close. She had shared her artistry on her main account through Instagram where she promotes her eyebrow microblading and flag for “nudity”. She was not offended but was complimented on how realistic her artwork looked. Aava stated that she wanted “To impact someone’s life so positively and make them feel better about themselves, it’s the best feeling”. Her job is very important because it gives back that confidence that women lack when they go through traumatic diseases like this that also affect their body image.

Overall women who have breast cancer face a lot of body image issues due to their condition due to multiple treatments. The result of the treatments is loss of hair for a temporary time and the reduction of breasts to remove the cancer or minimize the cancer. They have a lot of drawbacks after surgery. They tend to lose their identity themselves, women also can lose sexual interest after surgery which can lead to unhealthy mental dysfunctions as a form of violence. One way to cope with the lack of confidence in themselves is by investing in their looks by tattooing parts they lost during the journey.

Women of different ethnicities and cultures can also be exposed to issues with their body image. This can be a form of violence for them because it can interfere with who they are and their culture. Relating the issue with women who are dealing with body image due to breast cancer. Women of different cultures specifically American American women, have this pressure to compete with society’s standards of the “ideal woman”.

In the article “Beauty and body image among African American college women” by Gemini Award, the research targets women of color about body image issues from hair, body, and complexion. Black women’s bodies and beauty have been devalued and rejected by mainstream culture in the United States. Society has labeled “fair skin tone to be the ideal woman”. Throughout history, American Americans have been given labels like “ugly, undesirable, and less feminine”. These words can be very hurtful and bring women of color’s confidence down. In the article, they composed research to discuss issues related to both evaluation and investment in aspects of the skin and hair. Within the research, they discovered that women of color are more likely to engage in skin bleaching, excessive hair care, and financial debt due to the maintenance of their image. Women of color would rather spend most of their money on hair or they would have to overcome this social cost if they keep their appearance natural. Women of color keeping their appearance natural is a form of discrimination and violence. Also a form of racism and colorism, which is a system where people prefer lighter complexions.

During the research the first component of the research was hair. They mention how hair has a big impact on the black women community. One of the participants mentioned how when she has her hair right or straight not textured she has a high level of confidence. The women in the research mention how they are willing to sacrifice a lot of hair which is time and money. They gave scenarios of how women would rather pay thousands of dollars to get their hair done and not have money for food. Another participant mentioned how she had to take out a loan to get it done before school started. Women of color correlate to an argument discussed in Carroll’s article by Iris Marion how the positive valuation of identity-based differences, and how the recognition and accommodation of the needs of oppressed groups enhance justice. Marison was referring to women of race and class coming together to support each other in a political aspect. Comparing it to the research black women seem to understand the struggles of protecting their hair or changing their hair. But other races that are not black seem to question it. Therefore the theme of hair continued with society being ignorant towards black women’s hair as a form of microaggression. Black women are always a conversation started due to their hair because people question the different styles they have. People also continue to assume their talents due to the hairstyle they have. One of the girls in the research mentioned how she was asked if she could sing or do poetry because her hair was left natural with curly hair. Their hair can be an expression of individual style, it can also be used as a way of stereotyping Black women into different roles. From this part of the research, women are shown to deal with sacrifice and racial microaggression due to their hair. But depending on the individual women can also take pride in their hair. They used the term versatility, to have different options of hair styles and have the opportunity that other people do not have to change their hair.

The second aspect of the research was their complexion. This is a very important role that takes part in body image and beauty because it introduces validation or invalidation to the environment they are in. Black women can get overwhelmed by the preference society has for light skin that persists and deeply affects the way that they think about themselves and others. This brings in the term colorism which was present in both Black and White communities. It also affected different areas of their lives because of color consciousness within families, mate selection, and desire for lighter-skinned children, and it attracted the ability to achieve the discussion of issues related to skin color preference.

The third part of the research was their body. Their body was described in the subteams as thick, toned, and curvy. The girls in the research explained how attending a primarily white school they were influenced to be skinny and fit. Women were impacted by the way white bodies are formed but when they went back home they were the ones to stand out because they did not fit in with the rest of the family. They had to overcome this violence of satisfying the ideal body at school or what society defined as the “ideal woman” and what their family thought of them. Usually the gaol in a black community the body should be fit and thicker in certain parts to look attractive. They also described their body to be Hypersexualization in ways in which Black women feel that they are sexualized, regardless of their intentions, because of the way others perceive their bodies. Black women have a more curvy figure and the stereotype against them is that they want to have sex.

In the final part of the research the,y questioned the participants about how they perceived body image and beauty. One of the popular responses was that in Balck families they usually perceive beauty ideas through family. The women reported that their family’s concern for appearance was directly related to how important appearance is in terms of achievement. Another aspect of how they perceived beauty was through media. They identified how in commercials they represent women of color which is not always realistic. They promote black women in a way that their complexion is lighter than the ideal black woman. Or their hair is never natural like most of the women in the black community. They also mentioned how black women in music videos are also seen as creating a particular standard of beauty for Black women. These women in the music videos make black women more self-conscious of their bodies for them to perceive something that they might internalize like interpersonal relationships towards men in the music video. Over all the research brought important key points on how black women deal with body image and beauty.

Throughout the research of Gemine, they covered the topics of body image and beauty. How women perceive it can be a form of violence due to all the struggles they go through to present themselves in a way that others are willing to accept them. For example, Kimberle Crenshaw stated that structural intersectionality is a form of how women of color do not share the same experiences as other people. Women of color are oppressed by society by their judgment towards black women. Therefore the article went in depth about how women of color struggle with body image and beauty due mostly society’s standards.

The way women deal with body image and beauty can be very toxic for them as an individual. They feel like they are entitled to look a certain way because of how society portrays the ideal of what a woman should look. But in general, women already care about their appearance. Women who are facing long-term issues like breast cancer are also affected by the mentality of keeping up with their appearance. The sense of violence in trying to fight both cancer and keep up with their appearance to feel comfortable with themselves and not be an outcast. They struggled to spend lots of money to get microblading on their eyebrows or the tattoo of the areola. Same as women of color, they keep up their appearance to be validated by others. They perceive their body image and beauty through media and family. Spending lots of money to maintain their hair and look presentable for others. Overall the women face struggles and issues with body image and beauty because of how society pressures women to look a certain way.

Work Cited

    1. Awad, Germine H., et al. “Beauty and Body Image Concerns Among African American College Women.” Journal of Black Psychology, vol. 41, no. 6, Dec. 2015, pp. 540–564, doi:10.1177/0095798414550864.
    2. Crenshaw, Kimberle. Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and Violence against women of color, Los Angeles, Stanford Law review, 2012
    3. DiCenso, Dina, and Erica Fischer-Cartlidge. ‘Nipple-areola tattoos: making the right referral.’ Oncology Nursing Forum, Nov. 2015, p. 661. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine, https://link-gale-com.libproxy.csun.edu/apps/doc/A462899391/HRCA?u=csunorthridge&sid=HRCA&xid=7c711550. Accessed 14 Dec. 2019.
    4. Helms, RebeccaL., et al. “Body Image Issues in Women with Breast Cancer.” Psychology, Health & Medicine, vol. 13, no. 3, May 2008, pp. 313–325. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/13548500701405509.
    5. Tamar W. Carroll, ‘Intersectionality and Identity Politics: Cross-Identity Coalitions for Progressive Social Change,’ Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 42, no. 3 (Spring 2017): 600-607.

 

Body Image Sociology Essay

Social media use has swiftly become a normal part of daily life activities and a means of communication for many people, both young and old. It exposes people to lots of images and sets societal body shape standards, which may be unrealistic and affect body images of people, especially women (Behan, 2015). Also, Poorma and Vijaybanu (2016) reported that these body shape standards seen on social media influence healthy eating habits and weight loss journey of people. This study was done to evaluate the sociological impact of social media on body image, and weight loss. It also aims to assess the relationship between social media use and healthy eating.

The research approach used in this study is mixed-method research. The data was collected through an online survey via the administration of questionnaires, to which 135 people responded. Also, open-ended semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 5 participants who had undergone a weight loss and healthy eating journey. As presented in the essay, the collected data was analyzed through quantitative and qualitative methods.

This essay discusses the significance of the study and compares the findings with reports from the literature. Also, it illustrates the implications of the theory, the limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research.

According to the results, the majority of the respondents described that seeing pictures of “ideal body shape” on social media affects how they view their bodies. They narrated that seeing the popular social media hashtag “body goals” which people use in posting pictures of the “ideal body shape” on social media, reminds them of how unpleasant their body looks. The third emergent theme of the qualitative analysis showed that social media contributes to body dissatisfaction, self-consciousness, and low self-esteem. This is in line with Behan (2015) who reported that women felt body dissatisfaction due to constant comparison with images found on social media.

It was observed that even respondents who lost weight felt dissatisfied with their bodies because of the inability to attain the exact body shape as seen on social media. This is consistent with the assertion of Mills et al. (2017) who reported that an individual who fails to meet societal standards of body size and shape can have a negative body image satisfaction irrespective of that person’s objective size and shape. The findings of the study may be inferred to mean that social media contributes to negative self-image and lowers self-esteem. This can be unhealthy and affect mental and physical health as documented by Bells (2016). However, negative body image can make people feel motivated and inspired to start a weight loss journey and be consistent with it, as recounted by the participants of this study.

It is imperative to find out how people use social media to meet their specific needs to understand how it affects their behaviors (Lee et al., 2014). The findings show that social media has a positive and negative effect on weight loss journeys. Some of the benefits of social media on weight loss as described by the participants are that it provides them with unlimited access to information about weight loss tips and serves as a means of getting support for people who want to lose weight. Most of the respondents of this study spend an average of more than three hours across their social media handles especially Instagram, going through health goals motivation posts and health tips from weight management influencers, for motivation and assistance on their weight loss programs. While this may be helpful, they narrated that it can be disastrous to their mood and mental health when their outcomes differ from what they see online. This is in agreement with previous studies which reported that social media can negatively influence mood (Johnson et al., 2014) and mental health (Banjanin et al., 2015).

The inability of people on weight loss programs to get similar outcomes to the images on social media could be due to erroneous information and unrealistic tips given by influencers who are not qualified to give weight management instructions (Ashrafian et al., 2014). The relationship between social media and weight loss is both positive and negative, and it can contribute to the success or failure of weight loss journeys. From the findings of this study, it is suggested that people who undergo weight loss programs should get information from credible weight management professionals on social media, without the expectation of getting outcomes similar to the images they see on social media.

Healthy eating refers to the consumption of food that supplies the body with essential nutrients important for maintaining good health (Lean, 2015). Social media use generally has a positive impact on healthy eating according to this study. This is in line with the assertion of Thomas et al. (2016) that the frequent exposure of people to healthy food options through social media can improve their healthy feeding habits and make them eat more fruits and vegetables. A large percent of the respondents stated that they spend hours on social media, visiting food blogs for tips and motivation on healthy eating. Also, the respondents stated that they receive healthy eating tips from healthy eating social media influencers. However, a small percent of respondents argued that social media can be counterproductive to healthy eating due to the display of unhealthy food and snacks as documented by Vaterlaus et al. (2015). It is suggested that people on a healthy eating journey should employ self-discipline from the temptations of unhealthy food.

This study has important implications for social comparison theory. Social comparison theory states that an individual needs to seek information from a group of people to affirm his or her abilities as well as to realize the extent he or she can use these particular abilities and eventually validate other people’s opinions (Wallis and Kozar, 2015). This theory is used to explain body dissatisfaction experienced by women who make constant comparisons with the “societal ideal standards of beauty”. The results of this study show that the respondents felt self-hatred and negative body image due to comparisons with social media images. This can be related to the upward comparisons in social comparison theory. Social media has made social comparisons easier and according to the results of this study, comparisons are still being made, thereby leading to negative body image.

The lifespan theory can also be related to this study. It explores the development from conception to old age. It explores the pressure that young women undergo in stages of early adulthood to have body shapes and sizes that are considered as beautiful and how they depend on the media and celebrities to gain an understanding of the “ideal body shapes” (Wallis and Kozar, 2015). The respondents of this study are between 18-25 years and they stated that they spend hours on social media looking through health goals motivation posts and getting frustrated when their outcomes differ from the “ideal body shapes”. This study shows that young adults are still under pressure and are still vulnerable to what they see on social media as suggested by the theory.

The results of this study also contribute to the objectification theory. The theory was developed by Fredrickson and Roberts in 1997 and was used to explain why and how women are affected by negative body image throughout their life span. The theory shows how women and girls are conditioned to treat themselves in some ways as objects to be assessed and even assume an observer perspective on themself (Behan, 2015). In this study, this is perhaps the reason why the respondents of these study felt frustration and depression when they could not reproduce the outcomes of the images they saw on social media.

This research is limited by sample size. Out of the 200 respondents anticipated to take part in this study, only 135 respondents fully answered the questionnaire questions, which could affect the generalisability of the findings of the study. Nevertheless, this study is consistent with previous literature reports and has contributed to the information on the sociological impact of social media and body image, weight loss, and healthy eating.

This study suggests that healthcare providers and weight loss experts should provide more sources of adequate information about healthy eating and weight loss on social media, as part of weight management interventions. They should also educate people about their body fat dynamics and the importance of getting information from qualified weight management professionals on social media. 

Body Image Cause and Effect Essay

Body image is defined by health professional Carla Rice as, “an individual’s experience of his or her body. It refers to the mental picture a person had of his or her body as well as the individual’s associated thoughts, feelings, judgments, sensations, awareness, and behavior” (“Body Image”). Body image is developed through interactions with people and the social world. It alters across lifespans in response to adjusting feedback from the environment. Body image in young teens is greatly influenced by the preoccupation with weight and body image, it is affecting the youth very negatively with how they are seeing their bodies through the influence of social media, how it is affecting their self-esteem, and how it is affecting them to change their bodies physically.

Social media is having a huge negative impact on how teens are viewing themselves. They grasp the societal depictions of the ideal figure primarily from the media. (“Body Image”) They are being bombarded with images in magazines, movies, on television, and especially online with Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. “The flawless pictures and ads of celebrities can harm body image. These images can influence impressionable youths to view their bodies as not thin or fit enough” (Mehta). For girls, the perfect body is typically slim and toned, but with the constant take-in of models and celebrities with the perfect figure, these teens are being led to believe that something is wrong with them because they are not as thin as these women. Seeing all of the artificially perfected images can hurt a young female’s body image in a way that one may see and feel about their body and the way that one may think others see them. Those messages from social media can mess with a young teen’s self-esteem.

The obsession and preoccupation with weight and body image are greatly affecting the self-esteem of female adolescents. In the long run, body image has a lot more to do with one’s mind than one’s body. Self-esteem plays an enormous role in body image, the better you feel about yourself, the more likely it is that you will like what you see in the mirror. According to Schaefer,

“This culture encourages many young women to go after unrealistic standards of beauty, which then compels them to edit their photographs and ultimately their bodies. This culture fosters a never-ending obsession to achieve perfection, one that eclipses young girls’ confidence in their real selves” (Schaefer)

The self-esteem of a young female can easily be disrupted and all the negative effects of body image are transferred into how these teen girls are trying to alter the physical outcome of their bodies.

The pessimistic effects of body image are causing teens to try to change their bodies physically. The current standard of extreme thinness for women is unrealistic, unhealthy, and impossible for most women to achieve. (“Body Image”). In extreme cases, it is causing teenage girls to develop habits of doing unnatural things to their bodies to try to attain the perfect physique. Americans are encouraged to focus on their health by exercising regularly and eating nutritious foods rather than harming their bodies. Body dissatisfaction can lead girls to participate in very unhealthy behaviors to try to control their weight (Hellmich). Cholelithiasis, peptic ulcer, and gastroesophageal reflux are all diseases that can be developed in these young women. “Experts call these behaviors disordered eating, a broad term used to describe a range of eating problems, from frequent tightening to anorexia nervosa (which is self-starvation, low weight, and fear of being fat) to bulimia nervosa (the binge-and-purge-disorder)” (Hellmich). Although body image can quite possibly lead to many horrific things for both the mind and the body, there can always be a flip side to everything as well.

As said before, body image is “an individual’s experience of his or her body. It refers to the mental picture a person has of his or her body as well as the individual’s associated thoughts, feelings, judgments, sensations, awareness, and behavior” (“Body Image”). That statement does not lead any one person to sway either way on if body image is associated with good or bad things. When people think of body image they think only of the negative effects of it, but not everything only has one side to the story. Body image can truly help people in unbelievable ways. One of the greatest ways it can help sway people to the positive side of it is that it can be used as a magnificent motivator for all people. It may push them to work harder to reach their goals and desires naturally and healthily.

For the contrast of that reason, body image in young teens is continuously being influenced throughout the constant thought about weight and body image. It is affecting the youth very negatively with how they are seeing their bodies through the influence of social media, how it is affecting their self-esteem, and how it is affecting them to change their bodies physically. The truth is, is that “perfection” is not realistic or even necessarily healthy, and once people begin to realize that they will enjoy themselves much more. As Dr. Christopher Cain would say, “We all need to take a healthy approach to the way we view ourselves and our bodies – looking after ourselves, but not trying to attain an unattainable perfection at the cost of our health, wellbeing, and happiness” (Cain).