Dying To Be Skinny
The desire to be skinny amongst girls at any age these days is becoming more and more intriguing. The numbers of girls acquiring eating disorders is also growing higher and higher. Approximately one in every 100 teenage girls may develop an eating disorder. Some question why it is that girls have such a struggle dealing with issues of weight and appearance, but is it really such a shocker when the world we live in puts such high pressure to look a certain way?
“From early-on children are taught by society that their looks matter. Images on T.V. spend countless hours telling us to lose weight, be thin and beautiful, buy more stuff because people will like us and we'll be better people for it” (somethingfishy.com). People perceive these delusions as so much more than just mere suggestions. They look at the media and turn around and think, “I don’t look like that, something must be wrong with me,” and do what they feel is necessary to better their situation. However, nothing is wrong with the people who think that, what is wrong is the media’s depiction of what it is we all should look like. This especially plays a crucial role in the lives of young girls from toddlers to teens.
The media has not only affected the self-image and nutrition habits of young women, it has altered values, ambitions, the view on young girls and teenagers, and their upbringing as well (Turner). Too many girls rely on celebrities as the norm. They try to resemble them as much as possible through what they look like, what they wear, and how they act. It's fine for girls to want to feel sexy and pretty when they are teenagers, but that shouldn't be their primary focus. If they are spending all there time choosing the right wardrobe, trying to dance like an MTV backup girl and applying lip-gloss, it robs them of other options (Lamb).