Is beauty really skin deep? To some people, yes, but to the rest of the world, especially the media, no. Thin is considered absolute perfection, why? Why can’t people be big and beautiful, why do people torment themselves everyday because there not the perfect size 4? I’m not talking about the healthy thin, I’m talking about Model thin, skin and bones thin .There are many reasons why people want this “perfection”but I have picked my most important ones.
Media. The number one reason for people wanting to be perfect. We are influenced by media every day. There are woman ,which size 0 is too big on them, who are models on TV and in magazines that some girls strive to be exactly like. But these ‘role models’ are walking skin and bones; death on heels, so tell me how is that perfect? Actresses are becoming skinnier and skinnier, and to me, less beautiful. Victoria Beckham for example, she has got way to skinny, and she doesn’t think anything is wrong? How are models these days considered more perfect and more beautiful than someone like Marylin Munroe? What’s wrong with curves? Are they suddenly considered as “fat”. Marylin Munroe was considered the most beautiful woman, and Bo Derek, she was considered the perfect size 12, but now they don’t consider anyone over size 10. Adeles manager told her to lose weight, and she told them “I don’t make music for eyes, I make it for ears”. Victoria secret turned her away. Media, paparazzi and many people in general are pressuring people in our society to become skinnier, to become “perfect”.
Culture. Culture is another prime example of pressure. In Mauritania it is considered to be more beautiful if you are large. In the 18th and 19th century it was considered wonderful if you were large, it showed wealth of course, but it also showed that you could live a good lifestyle. But our culture, in modern Pasifika cultures and in most 1st world countries, you are looked down on if you are large. You get bullied, and eventually people take extremes. They commit suicide or develop eating disorders like Anorexia or Bulimia, 150,00 women die each year of anorexia, and 10million women, men, and children suffer from eating disorders every year in the US alone. People in Africa are starving and yet we consider thin perfect when they consider it death?
Barbie! Barbie is every little girl’s inspiration, all around the world. If Barbie was a real human being she would be 5’9”, have a 39” bust, an 18” waist, 33” hips and a size 3 shoe. Barbie calls this a “full figure”, and likes her weight about 110lbs. At 5’9” and weighing 110lbs, Barbie would have a BMI (or body max index) of 16.24%, and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. If Barbie was a real woman, she would have to walk on all fours due to her proportions. Slumber Party Barbie was introduced in 1965 and came with a bathroom scale permanently set at 110lbs with a book entitled “how to lose weight” with directions inside stating simply “don’t eat”. And yet Barbie is considered an “inspiration” to young girls everywhere. These ideas have been thrust into our society, and have stayed there.
In New Zealand 1.7% of the population suffer from an eating disorder, that means, approximately 68,000 New Zealanders will develop a eating disorder sometime in their life, and Bulimia is twice as common as anorexia. Females represent approximately 90% of that, and Males 10%. It is averaged that it is usually people in their late teens who develops an eating disorder.
Many ,many models die every year due to an eating disorder. One of the saddest of young models dying due to eating disorders was Eliana and Luisel Ramos, models from Uruguay. They were 22 and 18 years old when they passed away from their eating disorders. Luisel died on August 2, 2006 after completing a pass on the catwalk, she complained of feeling ill and passed out only to succumb to heart failure due to her disorder. Her father claimed she hadn’t eaten for days beforehand. 6 months later her sister Eliana died on Febuary 13th 2007 from a heart attack believed to be caused by malnutrition. This is scary, but what’s most scary is anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and a lot of it has to do with wanting to be perfect.
Ever since I was about 6 I have been larger than others, I have been bullied by others because of my weight. But I tell you, not once have I ever wanted to be that skinny, to me that’s going overboard. I asked my close friend what she thought of this topic, she said “I believe in a beautiful that is neither thick nor thin. Beauty is within the face and fat or thin just emphasises the features. Yes it is more culturally accepted for beautiful to generally be thin, but beauty can be found in all sizes.” My own opinion is close to this, it is “I believe perfection cannot and should not be defined by someone’s size. I believe that everyone in society is beautiful, whether that is in their own way or others, but people shouldn’t take extremes because they think there not perfect, because they think there not skinny enough, and most of all, when someone tells them there not good enough.” So I leave you with this, and this question. Is thin really perfection?
