Body Image Among Women: The Pressure To Be 'Perfect'

As women in society, we tend to feel so much pressure to look “perfect.” According to a survey conducted by Whatsgoodly among college women, 80 percent of students feel this pressure. Sadly, we can all probably think of at least a few times or ways in which we felt insecure about our bodies.

But why?

The media’s definition of beauty has completely altered the way we look at ourselves. The media has created an unrealistic expectation for the “ideal” body. Models are photoshopped to look slimmer, skin touched up to look flawless and so on.

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One thing that I really don’t like about the fashion/modeling industry is that all models fit this specific look. For example watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show you see all of these women with super long legs, flat stomachs, and perky boobs.

How come there’s no short models? Or models that don’t have abs? Women that are short or that don’t have an insanely thin waistline are just as beautiful, maybe even more, than the women that walk across a catwalk.

I admit that I have my insecurities whether it be a pimple on my forehead, the rolls on my stomach when I sit down or the birthmark on the back of my leg. I know that I am not super skinny but I also know that I’m not fat either and I think this is something that all girls with insecurities need to consider.

You may have pimples on your face but that doesn’t make you “ugly.”

You may have a little extra skin on your stomach but that doesn’t make you “fat.”

As cliché as it sounds, nobody is perfect. Perfect isn't real. We all have imperfections and everyone’s body is built differently.

Another thing that needs to change: shaming women who are confident. Someone that constantly post selfies or looks in the mirror is often seen as “full of themselves” or “big headed” or “self-absorbed” but what’s wrong with being confident and loving yourself? Absolutely nothing. More women should feel this way about themselves and we should have the right to. And as women, we should be lifting each other up, not tearing each other down by pointing out imperfections or shaming someone for being confident.

Also, 62 percent of college women made the New Year’s resolution to loose weight.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to loose weight or workout but is it necessary and what is your purpose? The only reason you should want to loose weight is if you’re doing it for yourself because of health reasons or just to make yourself happy. You should never feel like you have to loose weight or look good for anyone but yourself.

There are definitely steps being made in the right direction. For example, Aerie's campaign #AerieReal that promotes positive body image and does not retouch any of their models and the fact that the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has included women of different ethnicities. I've even seen mannequins of different body shapes in stores now. Society and the media are finally catching on the the issue with women's body image but in order for there to be a drastic change, we ourselves also need to change the way we think of our bodies.

If we learn to love ourselves and refuse to let society define the way we see ourselves, I believe society would be a less toxic environment for women.