Obviously, there's lots of pressure in today's society to look perfect. Everyone of every age can feel it, no matter their race, gender, or social class. Some people take extreme lengths to look what they believe is supposed to be their best, while others depend on material items to make them look good.
I'm not going to talk about how inner beauty is the only thing that counts, because that's a lie. You have to present yourself a certain way in today's society to be considered eligible for a job, a friendship and/or social/political credibility. A lot can be said for clean hair, a fresh face and a presentable outfit. I find that if I'm having a bad day in sweatpants and tired hair, I'm less likely to feel like a productive part of society.
Women feel the pressure from Victoria's Secret models and other celebrities with fantastic bodies and never-ending good hair. Eat right, work out every day, get the abs, get the hair, get the cred for looking "perfect." Guys feel the same pressure as well I assume, but I think that women tend to feel it on a different level depending on what stage of their life they are in.
As someone who felt the pressure of body image from junior year of high school, I know what it's like to be concerned 100 percent of the time on how flat my stomach is and how lean my legs look. But if there's one thing my freshman year of college taught me, it's that if you want a burger, eat a burger. If you want the Oreo milkshake, get it. Spending the last two years of high school caring so much about what I ate was a bit ridiculous, and I'm lucky it didn't escalate to a dangerous level. I learned that working out is healthy, and that to be in shape and strong is good for the body and the mind.
But if you don't eat that burger and milkshake when you're feeling it, well then you're just denying yourself happiness. With everything going on in life, a french fry is hardly the end of the world.
Diet and exercise are good, but if you don't block the body-shamers out and do what's good for you, whether that be indulging every now and then or making dessert a daily thing, then in my personal opinion, you're living wrong.
