This week brings to light an important issue that citizens of our country need to face, and the world for that matter: eating disorders.
Being National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, I have been dwelling quite a bit on this delicate matter. It is safe to say that a large majority of the eating disorder population consists of women, mostly young, but that is not to say that there are not men who struggle with eating orders too because there are.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, eating disorders are defined as “extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues.” Some of these attitudes and behaviors stem from the unrealistic portrayal of women in the media, negative body image and body shaming.
Advertisements, music videos and films across genres tend to choose picture perfect women to gain attraction to their products. Without even realizing it, the media has generated our universal construct of what being beautiful entails.
Young girls view these products and subconsciously analyze themselves based on the women they are seeing. That is where the source of the trigger is rooted. Women are always told to be confident and think positively, but with the constant push to be fit and perfect and meet society’s standards of attractiveness, they lose themselves to an internal battle of self-consciousness.
This is where negative body image and body shaming come into play. According to Heart of Leadership, “more than 90 percent of girls—15 to 17 years—want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance, with body weight ranking the highest.” They also state that “7 in 10 girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way including their looks, performance in school and relationships.”
These numbers are disheartening. More companies and media outlets should be taking the extra step to build up the self-esteem of women and stop promoting negative body image flags in their commercials and advertisements. Dove is one of the companies who have notably made a difference. Too many females look in the mirror at the person staring back at them and feel unworthy of love and praise. With opportunities evolving and society changing, we would think that girls would feel free to be herself without any judgments from society.
Snide remarks and marginalizing individuals based on their physical appearance prompts the issue of body shaming, creating a standard that to be thick is to be ugly. This is not to say that encouraging and promoting a fit and healthy lifestyle is wrong, because that is not true. It is the way we urge people to get skinner that needs to be kept in mind. If a person is happy with their figure and appearance, who are you to challenge that?
Being a young adult female in today’s world, I have experienced these pressures. I have often felt that I do not match up to society’s standard of beautiful because my body is not meant to be overly thin, which is the standard that is pressed. But I have surrounded myself with people who have encouraged me to build my self-esteem through doing things that only have positive benefits to me and my mental health.
This week I have been wearing a periwinkle ribbon to support those who are battling the complex struggle of eating disorders. It is a battle that will take immense strength and time to conquer, but it is not impossible.
So, let’s make a pact to promote positive body image and confidence in individuals of all ethnicities, appearances and genders across the globe.
