Buy essay on Women’s body perception in the modern society

Nowadays it’s a common thing for women to feel quite insecure about their bodies. “The advertising, diet and beauty industries want you to see only what’s wrong with your face, your hair, your body”. (McDonald 16).
Recently a number of researchers emphasized the way the depiction of the female body by the media influences both emotional and physical health of modern females. I need to mention that this situation is especially critical for the Western cultures.
According to some findings, there is a general belief that lives will change for the better if the weight is lost and here is an absolutely horrific fact: “approximately 24% of American women would sacrifice three years of their life in return for achieving their desired weight.” (Turner and Hamilton 603)
The issue of comparison
When women compare themselves with picture-perfect models they feel much more insecure about their bodies, and it doesn’t even matter what size or shape they actually have.
Unfortunately, the standard of women’s physical attractiveness became much thinner and less curvaceous. (Turner and Hamilton 603).
Studies have shown that images of skinny models negatively affect how overweight women and those with eating disorders view their own body image. Sometimes weight is not a factor, because viewing these unrealistic images makes a bad influence on everyone. (“THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMEN” 30)
Ideal models that are shown in advertisements or pictures of airbrushed or partially computer changed celebrities in the magazines decrease the level satisfaction with bodies.
The influence of thinning on women’s health
Miller indicates that there are some researches that confirm the implications of unrealistic thin beauty standards on for women’s health and well being. Author says that a very thin body causes a number of serious health risks, and that it’s absolutely unhealthy. (189)
The disordered eating is the major problem among the others. The results of thinning may be infertility, amenorrhea, ovarian and endometrial cancer, and osteoporosis (Miller 189).
The influence of fashion business standards
In a fashion business, in the world of glossy magazines and alluring advertising, we, women, are especially concerned about our looks. Every model needs to have perfect body to be successful in her occupation.
As a model, I can claim that a majority of models actually start their modeling activity at the young age and our negative body image perception probably takes its roots there. The problems of self-deprecation, depression and eating disorders are so frequent among models.
Another negative influence is, of course, setting unrealistic standards in the heads of common people. Images of models are usually been airbrushed and photoshopped, which means they are not 100% real.
Influence of media
The influence of the media on satisfaction with the body image and perception is also important: media are powerful; they form our opinions about the world and about ourselves as well.
TV world that is perhaps more linked to the rise in eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia and obesity) than anything we might see on the catwalk or in glossy fashion magazines. (“THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMEN”, 30)
A developmental approach to understanding the influence of the media and other sociocultural influences on women’s body image perception is also needed. Females are bombarded with media images throughout childhood and adolescence. Emphasis on physical appearance and body type are prevalent even in children’s television commercials, and popular teen magazines heavily emphasize fashion, beauty, and stereotypical female roles (Turner and Hamilton 603).
Possible solutions
I would like to suggest a quote of a pop singer Christina Aguilera that has to be followed by all ladies: “I think that whatever size or shape body you have, it’s important to embrace it and get down! The female body is something that’s so beautiful. I wish women would be proud of their bodies…”
We should not look at these pictures in the media as standards. They are not suitable as role models, because they are not 100% real. We should be able to separate the fantasy from reality. We should understand how media, advertising and fashion worlds work. They need to sell; therefore they tend to use ideal images to give us a dream, a fantasy of how our life will be with their product. We shouldn’t be fools. We should do our best as citizens to improve the regulation of these industries and support the methods of
I would advise any woman to take a look around and to find nice role models in the real life. There are so many wonderful women that are able to aspire! The individuality should be valued, not the general beauty standards. I love Simone de Beauvoir’s view of a woman: “To say that woman is mystery is to say, not that she is silent, but that her language is not understood, she is there, but hidden behind veils, she is there, but exists beyond these uncertain appearances. What is she? Angel, demon…” (Beauvoir 836)
A woman has to be a mystery, to look feminine and mild, but at the same time to be wise and have a strong character. In my opinion, these are the major attributes of a real woman (and not those that are being so hardly popularized in the recent times).

Works cited
Beauvoir, Simone de. “Woman: Myth & Reality”, Jacobus, Lee A (ed.) A World of Ideas. Bedford/St. Martins, Boston 2006: 780-795. Print.
McDonald, Carmen. “Even Feminists Struggle with Body Image.” National NOW Times 34 (3). Fall 2002: 16, Print
Miller, Evonne. “Media Consumption, Body Image and Thin Ideals in New Zealand Men and Women.” New Zealand Journal of Psychology. 34. (3). 2005: 189, Print
Turner, Sherry L and Hamilton, Heather. “The Influence of Fashion Magazines on the Body Image Satisfaction of College Women: An Exploratory Analysis.” Adolescence. 32 (127). 1997: 603, Print
“THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMEN; Size-Zero Models and Glossy Magazines Bear the Brunt of Blame for Women’s Negative Body Image but, Asks Jane Gordon Could TV’s Increasingly Waif-Like Stars Present a Greater Threat to Our Wellbeing?” The Mail on Sunday. 8 August 2010: 30. Print.