Title: Body Image and the Pursuit of Perfection What can we do
1Body Image and the Pursuit of Perfection- What
can we do?
- Prepared by Samantha Wilson
- Date November 23, 2005
2The following is a brief presentation that
promotes changing the current beauty ideal to
fit the actual norm. A heightened awareness is
brought to this issue by identifying the strive
for perfection as health concern, and furthermore
looking at ways we as a society, specifically
teachers, can help to change the existing current
views
3OVERVIEW
- What does body image mean?
- How is beauty defined in Western society, and who
is affected? - What are people doing to achieve the ideal
look? - How is this affecting our health?
- Is there anything we Can do to help?
41. What does body image mean?
5What is Body Image?
- How a person perceives his or her physical
appearance - How a person feels about his or her appearance
- How a person feels about his or her body
- How a person thinks others see his or her body
- (National Eating Disorder Association, 2002
The National Womens Health Information Center,
2004)
6Body Image
- It is does not stay the same - but changes
continually. - A person is not born with It. He or she learns
it. - The learning occurs in the family and among
peers, but these only reinforce what is learned
and expected culturally. -
(Lightstone, 1999)
7Positive Versus Negative Body Image
- Having a negative body image, a person has a
distorted perception of his or her shape and
size, compares his or her body to others, and
feels shame awkwardness, and anxiety about the
body. - (Lighthouse, 1999 National Eating Disorders
Association, 2002 ) -
- Having a positive body image, a person has a real
perception of his or her size and shape and feels
comfortable and proud about his or her body. - (lighthouse, 1999 National Eating Disorders
Association, 2002 )
82. How is Beauty Defined in Western Society,
and Who is Affected?
9Beauty Defined
- Since the beginning of time attempts to define
beauty have been ongoing - Even today, the word beauty has yet to be defined
with any certainty -
(Adamson Doud Galli, 2004) - However, in Western society there has been a
consistent emphasis on physical appearance, and
furthermore the ideal look . Words used to
describe this include thin, attractive, longs
legs, large breasts, defined physic etc
-
(Bayer, 2004)
10Beauty Defined
- Virtually everyone is influenced by the beauty
standards dictated by society. - One of the most significant cultural influences
that exemplify current beauty standards are
various multimedia sources. The different sources
include print, radio, television, and the world
wide web. -
(Sarwer, Magee Clark, 2004)
11Beauty Defined
- Currently these multimedia sources profoundly
target females - Females especially are continuously striving for
an image that is naturally possible for only 1-2
percent of the world's population -
(Anderson, 2003) - The media consistently links images of beautiful
women to prestige, happiness, love and success -
(Saucier, 2004) -
12Beauty Defined
- This narrowly defined image of beauty has led to
an many persons to a increase in feelings of
inadequacy, in other words a negative body image.
- (Tiggerman Mc Gill, 2004)
- This also leads to feelings of depression ,
isolation, and low self-esteem - (National Eating Disorder
- Association, 2002)
133. What are people doing to achieve this
ideal look?
14What are people doing
- A negative body image may lead many persons to
strive to achieve the ideal via harmful
practices such as yo yo dieting, eating
disorders, and obsessing over cosmetic
procedures. - (National Eating Disorders Association, 2004
Tiggerman McGill, 2004)
15What are people doing
- In the United States approximately !0 of girls
and women are suffering from diagnosed eating
disorders. Of these 50, 000 will die as a direct
result -
(Hartline, 2005, n.p.) - In 2001, women underwent approximately 88 percent
of the cosmetic procedures preformed, which is am
increase of 311 percent from the period of
1997-2001. -
- (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery,
ASAPS, 2003).
16What are people doing
- Pressure and a focus of conforming to the ideal
look is more harmful than helpful in terms of
body image. - Physical appearance is only one aspect of beauty.
-
(Rosen, 2004)
174. How is this affecting our health?
18Affecting Health
- A persons mental health and physical health can
be affected by a drive to achieve the extreme - Again, various health concerns that include body
dysmorphic disorder, eating disorders such and
anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and
depression may result with the pursuit of
perfection. -
(Hawkins, 2005)
-
19Affecting Health
- As women move through the different stages of
their lives, their perceptions and feelings about
their body image change - (The National
Womens Health Center, 2004, n.p.) - Various stages in particular, such as
adolescence, Increase a persons to
vulnerability in terms of succumbing to peer
pressures, and wanting and trying to fit in at
any cost. -
(Winzeler, 2005)
205. Is there anything we Can do to help?
21How to help
- Although the standardized beauty ideals, and
the pursuit of perfection affects many people,
for the purpose of this short presentation the
target group for enlightening about how to build
a healthy body images will be adolescences.
22How to help
- According to Winzeler (2005) considering this
impressionable stage of life various things the
could help the youth create a healthy body image
include - Collaborate with youth to create meaningful
coming of age rituals - Include critical media literacy in the classroom
23How to help
- Partner with youth in mobilizing politically
- Focus on how youth decorate their bodies
- Begin the formation of a mutually agreed upon
body vocabulary - Use intergenerational and intercultural groups
- Assist youth in paying attention to where their
money goes. -
(Winzeler, 2005)
24How to help
- Focusing on these areas may assist youth in
becoming more positive about their bodies.
Hopefully, by targeting youth we will be can to
empower youth so that they do not succumb to the
enlist pursuit of perfection. - Each point from the list of points above, in
regards to assisting youth create a healthy body
image, can be expanded on, and furthermore is an
effective intervention. -
(Winzeler, 2005)
25How to help
- Other tips to assist in and can be expanded in
creating a healthy body image include - Being healthy and active
- De-emphasize weight
- Stop comparing self to others
- Stop negative thoughts and statements about self
- Question assumptions, and beliefs that one type
of person is better than another. - Examine the degree to which self-esteem depends
on appearance - (Student Nutrition Action
Committee, n.d.).
26How to help
- There are so many ways to assist others in
creating a healthy body image - This issue is of great importance in terms of
fostering healthy and happy children to become
healthy and happy adults - There are many preexisting programs currently
available to get you started - Please start now so that we as a society can end
this pursuit of perfection, and start living
better
27References
- Adamson, P.A. Doud Galli, S. K. (2004). Modern
concepts of beauty. Plastic Surgical Nursing, 24
(1), 32-36. Retrieved on September 23, 2005 from
the Academic Search - Premier database.
- Anderson, R.C. (2003). Body dysmorphic disorder
Recognition and treatment. Plastic Surgery
Nursing (23), 3 125-129. Retrieved on September
28, 2005 from the Academic Search Premier
database. - Bayer, C. (2004). The Anti-aging trend
Capitalism, cosmetics, and mirroring the
spectacle. Journal of Communication, Culture and
Technology, 1-19. Retrieved on September 23, 2005
online from http//gnovis. georgetown.edu/articles
/ACF9E29.pdf - Hartline, C. (2005). Dying to fit in. Retrieved
on October 20, 2005 from - http//www.edreferral.com/body_image.htm
- Hawkins, N. (2005). Battling our bodies?
Understanding and overcoming negative body
images. Retrieved on October 20, 2005 from
http//www.edreferral.com/body_image.htm - Lightstone, J. (1999). Improving body Iiage.
Retrieved on October 10, 2005 from
http//www.psychotherapist.org /Index_archives_bod
yimage.html
28References Contd
- National Eating disorders Association. (2002).
Body image. Retrieved on October 10, 2005 from
http//www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPa
ge_ID286Profile_ID41157 - Rosen, C. (2004). The democratization of beauty.
The New Atlantis A Journal of Technology
Society, 5, 19-35. Retrieved on September 28,
2005 from http//www.thenewatlanstic.com/archive/5
/rosen.htm. - Sarwer, D. B, Magee, L. Clark, V. (2003). What
is beauty? Physical appearance and cosmetic
medical treatments Physiological and
socio-cultural influences. Journal of Cosmetic
Dermatology, 2 (1), 29-39. Retrieved on September
23, 2005 from the Academic Search Premier
database. - Saucier, M. (2004). Midlife and beyond Issues
for aging women. Journal of Counseling
Development, 82, 420- 425. Retrieved on September
23, 2005 from the Academic Search Premier
database.
29References Contd
- Student Nutrition Action Committee. (n.d). Body
image. Retrieved on October 20, 2005 from
Http//www.snac.ucla.edu?Body_Image/Body_Image.htm
- The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic
Surgery. (2003). Retrieved on September 23, 2005
from http//www.surgery.org/index.php - The National Womens Health Information Center.
(2005). Body image and your health. Retrieved on
October 10, 2005 from http//www.4woman.gov/BodyIm
age/index.cfm - Tiggermann, M. McGill, B. (2004). The role of
social comparison in the effect of
magazineadvertisements on womens mood and body
dissatisfaction. Journal of Social and Clinical
Psychology, 23 (1), 23-44. Retrieved on September
28, 2005 from the Academic Search Premier
database. - Winszeler, A. (2005). A healthy body image.
Retrieved on October 20, 2005 from
http//www.adolescence.unh.edu/healthybodyfinal.pd
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