Self-Image vs. Society

When I was younger, I loved Barbies. They were perfect from the tip of their artificial hair to their beautiful, small feet. Basically, they were the perfect woman and I wanted to be just like them.

Unfortunately, my dream was shattered when I hit puberty. Nature didn't seem to understand that I wanted to be perfect just like Barbie. (Barbie was probably replaced by some minor celebrity on the Disney Channel by the time I hit puberty, but we'll just use Barbie anyways.) Nope, nature decided that I would be 5'5", have size eight feet, and weigh a whole lot more than Barbie would ever be.


But here's the thing, being Barbie in real life would kind of suck. First off, I'd have to walk on all fours since my feet wouldn't be able to support me. Secondly, I'd never be able to eat since my BMI would have to be 16.24. (And if there's one thing I love to do, it's eating.) Oh, and did I mention I'd have to grow another four inches to finally reach the perfect height of 5'9"? Yeah, this whole Barbie thing isn't cutting it out for me. (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20055694-10391704.html)

     That's  what could be me as Barbie on the left. Yeah, not happening in a jillion years.

So maybe the whole Barbie thing is a little extreme and atypical, but there are tons of girls who are affected by the media in a way similar to this. They think, "If only I could lose ten pounds," or, "If only my acne went away." All this wishing leads to low self-esteem, anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating, depression - all that good stuff. All that crap that these girls put themselves through puts a toll on not only their physical health, but their emotional health too. Instead of improving their lives, they're only ruining themselves and the sad part is, they don't even realize it.

In a survey of girls 9 and 10 years old, 40% have tried to lose weight, according to an ongoing study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. How sad is that? Kids are supposed to have fun and be carefree. They shouldn't have to worry about their waistline.

Now try applying this to your life. When was the last time that you looked in a magazine and didn't get jealous of a model's body? When was the last time that you looked in a mirror and thought you looked awesome? When was the last time you thought you looked cute in a picture? 

Be honest. It's not just girls with eating disorders that get pressure from society. Sure, you may not have an eating disorder, but it's not like you don't feel the need to be perfect. 

In the end, I think we all need to realize that we're not perfect. As much as we try to reach perfection with our bodies, it just can't happen. Going against nature's blue-print for you will only create a huge mess that people will be having to clean up for years to come. 

Instead of picking away at yourself, try making a positive comment. The more a person makes bad comments about themselves, the more they'll believe it.

Also, think before you go and buy something. Just because the advertisement says that it will improve your appearance, doesn't mean that it will do any better than the next brand.

In the end, people need to realize that our bodies aren't perfect. The more that we push for perfection in society, the more that girls are going to push themselves to destruction. Once everyone understands that the way that we are made is pretty great, there'll be less problems with girls' self-image.