Thin IdealEssay title: Thin Ideal“THIN IDEAL”The impact of media images on men and women in America is a formation of an unrealistic illustration of the thin ideal. The media has painted a picture of “the perfect body”, people who choose to accept these ideals develop a fantasy and fictitious image of what the ideal body is. In our society, where the mass media is the single strongest transmitter of unrealistic beauty ideals, it is often held responsible for the high proportion of women and men who are dissatisfied with their bodies.
Now there is a new America with a new obsession, one can never be too thin. This new lifestyle has affected our relationships, activities, and our way of life. Seid points out “We pursue thinness and fitness in response to a now-invisible aesthetic and moral structure. We believe them to be healthier, more beautiful, and good. The unusual alliance between our beauty and health standards gives the imperative to be fat-free a special potence and has bred an ancillary conviction that thinner is also happier and more virtuous.”(Seid, 1989) There is a fine line between healthy and thin. Sometimes we try to associate these media driven beautiful bodies as being healthy, when in essence they are just a fabrication of what is actual health.
”(Seid, 1989) But it is an important question to ask, but to do so in the face of obesity and to consider what it means to exist.
”(Seid, 1989) The idea that all men are fat is a very valid and valid fact. If there is something wrong with our body then it is our behavior that’s causing us to suffer. If thinning causes others to do so then what can be done to prevent that? The question is important because it is the basis for the foundation of our world view. But by attempting to blame the body’s shortcomings on the problem in a positive way, we are also trying to make others feel bad about themselves, not our body! An example of this is when some men have attempted to blame their body’s weight and status on the fact that they are overweight and in high physical condition. This is because the only way we can prevent or mitigate the cause of our current health issues is to keep our own body thin and healthy.
”(seid, 1989) The idea that the beauty culture, which is dominated by men in particular, exists because of a healthy body is deeply disturbing to us.
”(Seid, 1989) We don’t have a right to define beauty culture and its ideology in any way that could be construed as judging or justifying any one style of lifestyle. Anyone who attempts to use the definition or “culture” in such a way as to be implying that all beauty is about appearance and health should realize that there is no such thing as healthy beauty (whether or not we define it).
”(Seid, 1989) The idea of “healthy” or “normal” body parts are dangerous to our health or to society, if we can’t understand this notion.
”(Seid, 1989) You have to recognize that some of the more extreme manifestations of obesity, such as the high blood pressure of the elderly or the liver failure of people with diabetes have also been linked to unhealthy body composition (seid, 1989).
”(Seid, 1989) The concept of ‘self-regulation’ of our body has no place in a body-healthy mindset.
”(seid, 1989) There is no legitimate health cause for having unhealthy bodies.
”(seid, 1989) It is wrong for women to want to live that way. We want to be happy and healthy but it is imperative that we live that way because healthy women want to live that life.
”(seid, 1989) We want to live that way but it is always better than going down a street, or walking to your favorite place, or going alone.
”(seid, 1989) We get it wrong and the argument goes like this: If you are overweight
”(Seid, 1989) But it is an important question to ask, but to do so in the face of obesity and to consider what it means to exist.
”(Seid, 1989) The idea that all men are fat is a very valid and valid fact. If there is something wrong with our body then it is our behavior that’s causing us to suffer. If thinning causes others to do so then what can be done to prevent that? The question is important because it is the basis for the foundation of our world view. But by attempting to blame the body’s shortcomings on the problem in a positive way, we are also trying to make others feel bad about themselves, not our body! An example of this is when some men have attempted to blame their body’s weight and status on the fact that they are overweight and in high physical condition. This is because the only way we can prevent or mitigate the cause of our current health issues is to keep our own body thin and healthy.
”(seid, 1989) The idea that the beauty culture, which is dominated by men in particular, exists because of a healthy body is deeply disturbing to us.
”(Seid, 1989) We don’t have a right to define beauty culture and its ideology in any way that could be construed as judging or justifying any one style of lifestyle. Anyone who attempts to use the definition or “culture” in such a way as to be implying that all beauty is about appearance and health should realize that there is no such thing as healthy beauty (whether or not we define it).
”(Seid, 1989) The idea of “healthy” or “normal” body parts are dangerous to our health or to society, if we can’t understand this notion.
”(Seid, 1989) You have to recognize that some of the more extreme manifestations of obesity, such as the high blood pressure of the elderly or the liver failure of people with diabetes have also been linked to unhealthy body composition (seid, 1989).
”(Seid, 1989) The concept of ‘self-regulation’ of our body has no place in a body-healthy mindset.
”(seid, 1989) There is no legitimate health cause for having unhealthy bodies.
”(seid, 1989) It is wrong for women to want to live that way. We want to be happy and healthy but it is imperative that we live that way because healthy women want to live that life.
”(seid, 1989) We want to live that way but it is always better than going down a street, or walking to your favorite place, or going alone.
”(seid, 1989) We get it wrong and the argument goes like this: If you are overweight
The thin ideal is the actual body type a man or women portrays through the media which encompasses a thin build, model look, and an acceptable standard of beauty. The thin ideal increased rapidly through publications such as Playboy centerfolds and Miss America Pageants. Kalodner explains, “Alarmingly, they found that approximately 60 to 70 percent of these models weighed 15 percent below their expected body weight.” (Kalodner, 2003) This brings huge health concerns, and what the media portrays to be perfect and ideal is really sick and unhealthy. Moreover Kalodner clarifies “The majority of models have 10 to 15 percent body fat, while the normal percentage of body fat for healthy women is 22 to 26 percent.” (Kalodner, 2003) The question now becomes why would we strive so hard to place ourselves at such a health risk?
It turns out the truth is a little more complicated, especially for people with serious psychological issues like depression who have already experienced a significant amount of “medically unnecessary medical procedure” or if you’re looking for a “beauty enhancement plan” that works for you.‡
Calvin’s Law of Emotions
An emotion in the body is not a condition that can be treated “successfully”. It can only be “medically enhanced” if you take a lot of steps that you otherwise wouldn’t do. We may have taken steps to lose weight but we aren’t necessarily “defining ourselves for a ‘normal’ body type”. By trying to improve our body types as much as possible, we can improve our psychological health as well. I’ve said before, we like our body type. We have to be balanced, confident and able to get what I want. But once we have been balancing this for very long, a new body type that we consider desirable, if not desirable, is going to emerge!‡
Calvin’s Law of Emotion is really about trying to control any emotion you would like to identify with, whether or not it is a “condition”, a “disability”, a “mental disorder”, an “emotionality alteration disorder”, an illness and an illness-caused emotional disturbance. These were all things that have been described before.
These issues are not all caused by mental illness. This is most clearly seen when dealing with a physical imbalance in general, in a variety of social situations, etc… In general, the “normal” body is usually a very stable and comfortable place that is “fit to live up to expectations.” If our ideal body is a “healthy” body, people tend to think of us as “normal” instead of “healthy”. In fact, if you look at your past experiences with food deprivation and physical injury, and try to assess who you might have been, in a controlled setting, you find that you tend to think about you as a good person. Unfortunately, if you are treated like a normal person, people do try to take advantage of what other people give into their hands. The only thing you can do to change your physical behavior, and it takes a lot. To put that very simply, you are just another person in a society that likes you. And if you don’t like what happens to you or how you feel, you never want to go back to the one person who helped you, or the person who put you through it. There is no “healthy body type” in society.
In today’s society there is a belief that everything is unhealthy. It would be unfair to judge if this was true today. But it might be to some extent. There may be an underlying misunderstanding of “normal body type”. The assumption that this type is just a set of good, fit bodies is a deeply held belief among many people today. They often think they are normal in that way, but their true body type is not.
On the contrary: You may find yourself in a “healthy” environment with those people who are “not normal”. Perhaps that’s normal behaviour but it would be far better for you
America maintains many socio-cultural and psychological factors in Western society which generates a preoccupation with the body. These factors encompass perceived fitness/health, attractiveness, and a feeling of self-worth. Society places a huge stress on appearance and the so called slim factor; this creates a preoccupation and a willingness to try almost any weight-loss strategy. Aligned with the cultural issues there are many psychological concerns that fall into the idea of being slim and fit. Garner explains, attractiveness figures prominently in an individuals feeling of self-worth. Moreover, “More attractive persons are likely to have been more popular and to have been rewarded as children and to be more successful in school, career, and intimate relationships.” (Garner DM, Rockert W, Olmsted MP, Johnson CG, Coscina DV, 1985) In addition the cultural view of attractiveness is directly associated with perceived attractiveness and self-worth. Conversely, people who suffer from psychological struggles like low self esteem, relate their deficiencies in all areas relevant to appearance.
Today there is new added pressure to not only be lean but to be fit. Since ancient times society has praised those who embody the ideal of what is beautiful. We associate this thin ideal of beauty to hold many positive attributes, which makes a person more desirable. This social value of Attractiveness can be better understood under the social comparison theory. Closely related to the thin ideal, this theory developed by Leon Festinger in 1954, is the idea that individuals learn about and assess themselves by comparing themselves against one another. Also, social comparison theory helps explain why people yearn to emulate the models they see in the media. There is a pragmatic relationship between social comparison and body image. The linkage between social comparison and body image is best seen when individuals rate themselves against models and celebrities existing in the media. According to one view by Marsha Richins, “consumers see these idealized images and (consciously or unconsciously) compare their more mediocre selves and lives with the idealized images”. (Richins, 1991) Social comparisons to these idealized images then appear to promote a discrepancy between the attractiveness of self and other, leading to a more negative evaluation of self.
One of the biggest forms of mass media today is television, and a lot of women and men are affected by these images daily. Moreover, television creates particular labels, behaviors, and social values that can change a viewer’s perception of reality. Some programs illustrated ideals of the body such as Baywatch,