It seems from the time a girl is able to understand her body and the fact that she is becoming a woman is the time at which she realizes that society has already established whether her body is or is not deemed “beautiful”.
The idea of body standards and beauty standards in today’s society dictates almost every facet of life: advertising, entertainment, etc. When girls grow up constantly surrounded by advertisements of perfect, tiny, bodies, and when they grow up playing with perfect, impossibly small waisted dolls, and when they grow up being told exactly what is beautiful, it is no wonder that most girls will suffer from eating issues and body image insecurities.
Almost 80% of women have issues with how they look. This is a crazy, and disheartening amount. Much of this is attributed to the constant objectification of women’s bodies, which in turn lead to a hyper focus on how one looks. Women are expected to have large breasts and a big butt but a small waist and slender legs and a perfect nose and skinny arms. It is impossible to fit these standards society is putting forth, and because of that women are resorting to unhealthy habits.
I myself have been struggling with eating and body issues since I was 12 years old. Suddenly I was conscious that I didn’t look the like the beautiful girls on my television screen, and I didn’t know what to do about it. So, I started counting calories obsessively, restricting my eating an unhealthy amount, and spending my free time trying to make myself look like these seemingly perfect women. I ended up unhappy and hating myself even more when I messed up or ate too much or didn’t workout enough. I have learned to realize that this is not how to live one’s life. The bodies that are seen on TV are the work of professional diets and trainers, and genetics that I just don’t have. And I have accepted that.
It is so important for young girls to see representation of all different body types in the media. For example, Dove has a campaign with women of all shapes and sizes, encouraging normalization of every type of body, not just stick thin models. The media does have an impact, and it is vital for young girls to see that they are beautiful at every size.
As a young woman in today’s society, I, too, have been greatly impacted by the media’s portrayal of femininity. I struggled with eating and calorie-counting, as well (and sometimes I still do), but I find myself in a better place now because I know that not only are these ideals impossible, but I know that they are unhealthy. I want to be a healthy person and that has been the biggest help in bringing me to a place of self-respect.
This is a really powerful post and I appreciate you sharing your own story. As a young teen, I struggled to see my proportions accurately and hated seeing my body grow and change. Struggling with self-confidence and body image can feel like a full-time job and consume your entire life. I think by sharing your story, you are giving hope to other people and helping them understand that they’re not alone in what they’re feeling.