80% of women say the images on television, movies, fashion magazines, and advertising makes them feel insecure.
42% of girls through first and third grade want to be thinner.
81% of ten year olds are afraid of being fat.
Girls as young as five years old are worried about their weight.
The average American woman is a size 12 but many still strive to be a smaller size.
The average American woman is 5’4” and weighs 140 lbs., while the average American model is 5’11” and weighs 117 lbs. Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women.
This horrible pressure that body image places on us women can lead to dangerous measures. These pressures often lead to altering our bodies through cosmetic surgery, and developing eating disorders just to fit the “ideal body type.”
In today’s world you can't go through the day without seeing any type of media portraying body image. Seeing what the “ideal body” is on a daily basis has not only turning into a minor insecurity, but is now a major social complication. Women feel like they need to look like a Victoria Secret model in order to be considered attractive. However, in society, we feel that we should be like this and are pressured by the media that this is how women should look like. But you don’t need to be tall, tan or a size zero in order to be considered beautiful.
Body image shouldn’t be tearing us apart. We need to get rid of these “body goals” that we want for our body. Your body doesn’t need to change. Your body is perfect just the way it is this very second. You are not determined by your height, your weight or the build of your body. Everyone is different, no two bodies are the same. You shouldn’t let someone’s opinion affect how you feel about yourself; the only opinion that matters is your own. You should love the body you have. We should be encouraging each other to accept, appreciate, and most importantly love the bodies we were given.
Don’t spend your life being unhappy with what you see in the mirror or the number that pops up on the scale. Those things don’t determine how amazing you truly are. All of us women need to start seeing ourselves in a more positive way. It’s about time we learn to love the skin we're in rather than tear it down. Stop the negative talk about your body. Our differences makes us beautiful. You should embrace your unique qualities and love who you are.
