Maggie McDevitt English 1551 Richard P Logan 5 December 2012 Size is Not Beauty How does one define beauty? Billboards, posters and pictures of models that reflect what society defines as flawless surround us. We see tall, thin girls and tall, thin, muscular men. As we look at them, their beauty is only on the outside. Behind the majority of models’ poses are people who suffer greatly with their image. There needs to be a balance between health and beauty. The drastic measures that people take to be thin are astonishing. There is more beauty in confidence, health and happiness than what is in thinness and perfection.

There's a specialist from your university waiting to help you with that essay.
Tell us what you need to have done now!


order now

It is stated by the late actress, Audrey Hepburn, “We must realize that in order to be beautiful, we must be happy and healthy first. ” Today’s society tells people that they must be thin to be beautiful. People naturally strive to be beautiful, but by definition, beauty is not classified as how skinny a person is, but how healthy he/she is. Unfortunately, many people believe in the negative unrealistic version of beauty. As a result, many people suffer from eating disorders. People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and should not be judged or told they are flawed for not being sickly thin.

Society should not glamorize beauty in size zero but should glamorize beauty in being healthy. The steps people take to be thin are morbid and outrageous and it is upsetting that society behaves this way. “I struggled badly with bulimia for 3 years before I realized what was happening to my body. My parents and brother really helped and guided me through my difficult times and if it weren’t for them I may not be here today. ”(Caruso) People should not be told they are not beautiful because of their weight, or that they do not have the figure of a contemporary model.

There is more to beauty than an outside physical appearance. Unfortunately, media tells people that beauty is primarily just that, physical appearance. People lose their inner-self in trying to make their physical appearance into what society tells them it should be. When people lose their inner-self to their physical appearance, eating disorders can emerge. There are multiple types of eating disorders, each with their own unique characteristics that affect the human body both physically and mentally. One major type of eating disorders is anorexia nervosa. According to Melinda Smith, M. A. nd Jeanne Segal, Ph. D, “anorexia nervosa is composed of three complex factors: refusal to maintain a healthy body weight, a strong fear of gaining weight, and a distorted self-body image. ” Anorexia has two forms; restricting anorexia restricts food intake and calories, and the purging form of anorexia involves use of laxatives, diuretics and/or vomiting. Anorexia is a disease that consumes a person’s body emotionally and physically and can ultimately shut down a body. Anorexia is not just a struggle of weight and food, but it is more complex in the aspect of deeper issues within one’s personal feelings.

Not only does anorexia affect a person’s weight, but it is also damaging to their skin, organs, muscles, heart, and nervous system. It can be, and often is, fatal. Anorexia victims feel as though they must be perfect and succeed in everything they do or they feel worthless. They have the mindset that no matter how thin they are, they still aren’t thin enough. In people with anorexia, the drive to be thin becomes an obsession that takes over their lives and can even end lives (Smith & Segal). According to an online article, “normal eating is not how much or what you eat, but your attitude towards food and eating. Abnormal eating is having a negative, doubtful attitude behind eating habits and putting too much thought behind eating (“Eating Disorders”). Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person does not eat for an extended period of time, and then eats a lot of food and make themselves vomit. (“Eating Disorders”). According to a study done by the National Eating Disorders Association, approximately 80% of bulimia patients also use excessive exercise as another way to manage their weight. People with bulimia use the disease to distract themselves from pain and have a sense of self-control (Davidson).

Bulimia is a spiraling disease that is potentially fatal. On the opposite spectrum, another common eating disorder is binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder in which a person eats a massive amount of food and does not work it off or throw it up (“Eating Disorders”). Bulimia and binge eating disorder are serious eating disorders and should not be taken lightly. The diseases affect bodies in many harmful ways and should not go unnoticed and untreated. The reasoning for eating disorders is broad, ranging from issues within one’s self image, to being pressured by media images and peers.

An individual factor for eating disorders is when a person sets unrealistic goals for themselves and is ultimately filled with disappointment (“Eating Disorders”). Sarah Murnen, professor of psychology at Kenyon College states, “the promotion of the thin, sexy ideal in our culture has created a situation where the majority of girls and women don’t like their bodies. ” Most runway models are underweight and females should not try to compare themselves to unhealthy models (“Do thin models warp girls’ body image? ) Some teenagers look up to models or actresses that are too thin as their role models and take dangerous tolls to look like them. Young women and girls are often not pleased with their image because society glamorizes ultra-thin models that are defined as perfect (“Modeling Industry Images…”). Magazine covers advertise thin celebrities and many people see that, including young girls. Celebrities such as Nicole Richie or Mary-Kate Olsen, who both suffered from anorexia, have been mainstream topics and on multiple magazine covers (“Celebrities with Eating Disorders”).

Today’s television shows lead people to believe they must be thin to be successful and beautiful. Store advertisements, like posters in shopping malls, glamorize their products on thin models, leaving people unsatisfied with their own body. Family and social life, whether positive or negative, impact people and can play a big part in eating disorders. Teenagers need support from their families all the time, not just when they excel at something, or they can start or feel worthless and insignificant.

Teenagers living in unstable households are more likely to develop an eating disorder in order to gain a sense of control. When children live in homes without much parental involvement, signs of eating disorders can go unnoticed and the problem is more likely to spiral out of control. Parent and family involvement is critical in the development of youth. People need to be loved and feel wanted by family and peers or they will lose self-value. It is also important for people to feel accepted by friends. Recently, social networking sites have become extremely popular.

Virtual worlds filled with blogs, thoughts, photos, videos and computer and human interaction. With smart phones and other mobile devices, it is relatively easy and fast to access the Internet just about anywhere. Although the Internet has many benefits, it is also a gateway for advertising and glamorizing thinness and the issues of eating disorders has gone viral. It was blogged by one teen, I’m at 150 calories today. I’m exercising as soon as I get home. I plan to skip dinner. I need to reach my next goal weight by Monday, or else.

Today my heart rate was 53 before lunch, about 56 now. My fingernail beds are not blue, exactly, but they’re not pink anymore. And the sad thing is these symptoms thrill me. Like many of us, I have romantic ideals. I want to be the Poetic Waif, the starving artist, living in a world of air and dreams. Instead, I have always felt the opposite. I am logical, earthly, contained, responsible, boring. Ana [anorexia] is how I deal with my failures, Ana is how I achieve my dreams. I am choosing to live in a dream world, because I cannot live in the real one.

I’m slipping slowly away. (Davidson) Posts about anorexia were also posted on mainstream sites, such as Twitter. There are many Twitter accounts that are completely for people with eating disorders that contain posts of girls and boys interacting, supporting and comparing their progress on their eating disorders with one another. There are countless posts about eating disorders and many other websites that have blogs and groups of people with eating disorders. From the listed posts, it is quite evident that eating disorders are a complete obsession, mindset and lifestyle.

There are so many victims out there suffering for an unobtainable state of perfection, and it needs to come to an end. Society needs to realize that there is more to beauty than a person’s body shape and size. Students in school can also be pressured to be thin. Children’s words can be very cruel and cruel words can leave impacts for life. School in general today can be cruel. According to a study, statistics show, “approximately half (40 to 60 percent) of high school girls are on a diet and 30 to 40 percent of junior high girls worry about their weight” (Davidson).

Those statistics are high, and they must be brought down. Women tend to be less comfortable with their self-image than men, and more women tend to develop eating disorders than men, but men are still vulnerable. Eating disorders affect people of all ages, in all sorts of ways. The trend of thin models encourages young girls to strive to be thin also (Woolley). Although eating disorders are more common among women, approximately 10% of people with eating disorders are male (Shiltz). Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died of anorexia.

Her death, among the death of other anorexic model victims, has caused a great deal of controversy in the modeling industry (Woolley). Professional fashion models are at risk for eating disorders due to the pressure in their career to be thin (Preti 87). Eating disorders also affect teenagers who feel under pressure in aspects of their life. Young girls that take up modeling have underdeveloped bodies, and they also miss a lot of school. Athletes who participate in sports in which they are judged by technical and artistic merit are often pressured to be thinner in attempts to be more successful in the sport and it’s judging.

Female athletes are vulnerable to developing an eating disorder due to pressure by coaches (Thompson/ “Eating Disorders in Athletes”). Eating disorders are a very serious problem, but, thankfully, there are ways to prevent them. Society must become aware of the problem of eating disorders and take steps in preventing them. It is important for people to become aware of the signs of eating disorders and know how to react. People need to realize that eating disorders are not just people seeking attention, they are people seeking acceptance and they need help to overcome their trials.

When it comes to the modeling industry, it should be mandatory that models must be able to prove they do not have an eating disorder; therefore, modeling can be a healthier activity. Age and weight minimum limits must also be set in the modeling and fashion industries. If someone has symptoms of an eating disorder, do not brush it off lightly because it is a real issue (Davidson). If more people were aware of the damage and signs and symptoms of eating disorders, more people with eating disorders could be helped sooner. Also, less people would have them in the first place.

To overcome an eating disorder, one must understand eating disorders and must be willing to face their fears and accept help. A major factor in eating disorders in the mental aspect, and to overcome an eating disorder, one must seek mental assistance. The first step in overcoming an eating disorder is admitting to oneself that they have a real problem. A person with an eating disorder should talk to someone about what they are going through so they do not feel alone and that will help them overcome the problem (Smith & Segal). A person with an eating disorder should also seek counseling as treatment for an eating disorder.

The mental aspect in battling eating disorders is the biggest challenge, and like any other challenge in life, it is easier to get through with the help of others. One must seek professional physical help to retrain their body to be normal and overcome an eating disorder. Eating disorder patients should consider seeing a dietitian or nutritionist and face the fear of gaining weight. Like many other challenges in life, it takes courage and a strong mental attitude to overcome. Eating disorder victims must also step away from anyone or any activity that triggers or strengthens their obsession with thinness (Smith & Segal).

We live in a fast paced fury of a society. People often get caught up in the madness and conformities pressed upon us. Unfortunately, some of the conformities are life altering and often times life threatening. Beauty is not found in size numbers, rather it is found in health, heart and happiness. The danger of eating disorders and the levels people take to be thin is astonishing, and they, too, need to end. Awareness of these struggles and issues must arise, and perhaps lives can be saved and lifestyles be altered for the better. Size is not beauty. Size is a number, weight is a number, but beauty is not found in numbers.

Beauty is found within the heart. Works Cited Caruso, Kimberly. “Kimberlykaecaruso@facebook. com. ” Message to the author. 1 Dec. 2012. E-mail. “Celebrities with Eating Disorders. ” Caringonline. com. 2010. Web. 21 Nov 2012. Davidson, Kimberly. “Deadly Eating Disorders: What Youth Leaders Need To Know. ” Youthworker. com. 19 Jan 2012. Web. 29 Sept 2012. “Do thin models warp girls’ body image? ” USA Today. 26 Sep 2006. Web. 14 Nov 2012 “Eating Disorders. ” Healthtopics. com. Web. 24 Oct 2012. “Modeling Industry Images Encourage Eating Disorders. ” Eating-disorder- resources. com. 16 Sep 2010. Web. 14 Nov 2012.

Preti, Antonio, et al. “Eating disorders among professional fashion models. ” Science Direct. 159 (2008): 86-94. 30 Oct 2004. Web. 23 Oct 2012. Shiltz, Tom. “Males and Eating Disorders: Research. ” National Eating Disorder Association. 2005. Web. 10 Nov 2012. Smith, Melinda M. A. , Jeanne Segal Ph. D. “Anorexia Nervosa. ” Helpguide. org. Jan 2012. Web. 24 Oct 2012. Thompson, Colleen. “Eating Disorders in Athletes. ” Mirror-mirror. org. 13 Sep 2011. Web. 15 Nov 2012. Woolley, Amanda. “Changing Industry Standards: ‘Beauty is Health’. ” The University of Southern California. 22 Feb 2010. Web. 2 Dec 2012.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *