Do I look fat?
Yuck � my thighs look disgusting.
I think I'm going to start my diet today.
While trying on clothes in a fitting room, I overheard these statements by girls. Sound familiar? Of course they do, because at one time or another many girls become self-conscious about their bodies.
They can also develop a negative self-image based on their body size, and an obsession with losing weight. This can lead to depression, eating disorders, or abnormal eating patterns, like skipping meals, eating only certain items, and excessively avoiding certain foods. In fact, more than 90 percent of the millions affected with eating disorders are girls and young women.
Why do so many girls struggle with poor body image and self-esteem?
�Girls� insecurities stem from numerous sources,� says Andrea Bastiani Archibald, Ph. D., research scientist for the Girls� Health & Development Project at Columbia University�s Center for Children and Families. �They compare their own bodies to those presented as �ideal� in the media. They observe parents and friends who are critical of their own bodies, and they get direct criticism or teasing from family and peers.�
According to Archibald, a girl can be greatly influenced by an adult family member or friend who models negative behavior � like an older sister who constantly says, �My arms are so flabby!� or �If I eat this cookie, it�ll land right on my fat thighs.�
The Power of the Media
Fourteen-year-old Marcella Leath, of San Francisco, CA, believes that unrealistic images of women in the media have a negative influence on girls. Leath once had a poor self-image because of her body.
�In 7th grade, I�d catch myself saying �Oh, my gosh, I can�t sit like that. It makes my thighs look huge!�� remembers Leath. Then she became a youth advocate for About-Face, a San-Francisco-based media literacy organization focused on the impact mass media has on the well being of women and girls.
�There�s no way that media images don�t influence your self-esteem. The only way to escape the media is by living in a hole,� she says. �Every model that you see represents a minority of women in our society, and most photos of women's bodies have been altered by a computer.�
The media�s favorite images are skinny models. Everywhere you look there are commercials, billboards, and magazines filled with them. These models -- along with half-dressed females in music videos and constant dieting advertisements -- all contribute to the idea that thinner is better.
But the skinny model body is unrealistic. Most female models are thinner than 98 percent of American women, according to Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention (EDAP), in Seattle. The average American woman is 5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighs 140 pounds. But the average American model is 5 feet 11 inches tall, and weighs 117 pounds, states EDAP. Still, the media promotes thinness as �ideal� beauty.
�The media knows nothing about beauty,� says Leath. �Beauty can�t be bought or sold. It can�t be made by any product. It comes from you. Look deep inside, we all have it.�
Finding That Beauty
Many girls find it difficult to accept their bodies and find inner confidence. But learning to do this helps build positive self-esteem.
How can you start loving your body and self?
�Learn what �normal� looks like, and actively seek positive images in the media,� suggests Archibald. �Exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. Set an example for peers and younger people by showing positive feelings and behaviors about your body. And find out what you like best about yourself � related to your body or not � and remind yourself of that everyday.�
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What About Guys? Many guys think that eating disorders are a �girl thing.� They're usually aware of girls' struggles with poor body image and eating disorders. �Girls think they have to be Barbie-doll types to get guys' attention,� says 18-year-old Branden, from Uledi, PA, �Even skinny girls think they need to lose weight. Guys will joke around about going on diets, but they don�t really care.� Well, many guys do care. Rates of eating disorders among males are increasing, according to Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention (EDAP) in Seattle. One million boys and men struggle with eating disorders and borderline conditions. But while males report unhappiness with their bodies, the Boston-based Harvard Eating Disorders Center finds that �most dissatisfied girls want to be thinner, while about equal numbers of dissatisfied boys want to be heavier. Boys want to grow into their bodies, whereas girls are more worried about their bodies growing.� So many guys aren't driven to alter their eating habits just for the sake of losing weight. Instead they focus on becoming more muscular and strong. At his high school, Branden sees guys change their eating habits for sports, so they can be bigger not thinner. According to EDAP, gymnasts, runners, body builders, rowers, wrestlers, jockeys, dancers, and swimmers are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders because their sports have weight restrictions. So while poor body image and eating disorders occur among males, the �ideal� many guys strive for is muscular, strong, and athletic. They're usually not trying to be extremely thin, to look like the airbrushed models that promote everything from a bad movie to a good pair of tennis shoes. - Elizabeth Greenberg, 17, SEX, ETC. national correspondent |
Editors� Note:
To learn more, contact:
Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention, Inc. 603 Stewart Street, Suite 803, Seattle, WA 98101. 1-206-382-3587. Information and Referral Line: 1-800-931-2237. E-mail: [email protected] . www.edap.org.
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.
ANAD, P.O. Box 7, Highland Park IL 60035. Hotline: 847-831-3438. E-mail: [email protected]. www.anad.org.
About-Face at www.about-face.org.
