Sound Off: Body Image

Everywhere you look in today’s society there are glossy airbrushed images of models plastered everywhere: on the signs we pass on the street, on the television screens we watch and, of course, in the magazines we read. They
are constant reminders that we have to acquire a certain “look” to be considered beautiful in the public eye. But why should girls be subjected to fit into a criteria that, in most cases, they cannot genetically meet?

It seems the typical model has perfect long legs – an apparent requirement to strut the runway – waist and hips that can fit a perfect size 0 and breasts that are perfectly proportioned to her body. Compare this to the average Canadian woman who most likely stands between 5’4 and 5’6 tall and ranges anywhere between 120 and 150lbs. Today’s media portrays unrealistic body images of the average woman that can ultimately lead to serious health issues for some females who try to attain the look we see in fashion magazines and movies.

Eating disorders have become a common disease in our society. Celebrities have often been shown on the cover of many magazines, flaunting their ultra thin bodies, which have caused many young people to question their bodies or think they’re not normal because they don’t look like a skeleton.

Although the topic of eating disorders and the media have been talked about many times I cannot help but question: why are we still struggling with these issues? Why are young girls still starving themselves to look like an anorexic Lindsay Lohan? And why can’t people’s bodies just be accepted the way they are?