Western Ideals and Female Body Image
March 27, 2008
Women in the U.S, U.K and greater western countries aspire to have a thin and ideal body, placing excessive importance on the ideal that being skinny is sexy and experiencing trepidation of being fat. Women value their experiences and emotions on body image and their eating habits. However, in the Caribbean, a curvy woman is regarded as sexy and healthy.
“Skinny” women are usually underweight for their height in many cases; they eat unhealthy and suffer from disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. These disorders were identified as being indigenous to western cultures due imperceptions of the ideal body image. If our society wasn’t so obsessed with looks that being skinny is appealing, then fewer people would be dying from anorexia. Why is it that you do not hear about anorexia and bulimia in the Caribbean?
Most women in the US and UK rather starve themselves and counting calories every time they eat something. The media is partly blamed for this also because they promote these images [commercials, ads, magazines and billboards] to young girls that you have to be skinny in order to be sexy.
While at the same time I am not advocating for obesity, I am just questioning the high prevalence of Body Dimorphic Disorder. While it is unhealthy to be obese, it is equally unhealthy to be too thin. Many glandular abnormalities surface when the body’s weight is not ideal to support the organs. The ovaries develop various abnormalities which is a disorder associated with gonadatropic hormones and the secretion and estrogen and progesterone. More over these disorders has a lot to do with cholesterol intake which comes from bile and dietary sources. If caloric intake is low the liver would attract the limited amount of cholesterol in the blood for other necessary function, thus, inhibiting the genesis of steroid synthesis which is essential for sexual organ functionality. What I am saying is that is being overtly skinny might not be healthy in many cases and the cascade of disorders might not be apparent at first but prolonged malnourishment does have its’ consequences
My final thought is Western cultures make the simplest problems complex and the simplest solutions most expensive.
Do you think that supermodels are genetically skinny and if so to what ratio? What size would you consider a really curvy woman to be? How do you feel about your weight?
Apsana
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6 Responses to “Western Ideals and Female Body Image”
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Simply because we haven’t heard about anorexia and bulimia in the media in Caribbean does not mean it does not exist. Just the same homosexuality has not been in the media decades ago, yet it existed.
We shouldn’t blame the media partially or not for the choices we make. Women are trying be “sexy” as everyone else from what they see in the media and what they see around them. That is a choice they make to fit in. If they are now “skinny” as a result of it, then they need to evaluate their values - apparently they are not happy with themselves. Apsana, are you anorexic? If you are not (which would be my guess) then you obviously made that choice to not follow this trend. And everyone else has that same choice.
And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the media is not influential because it is. We are all influenced one way or another not only by the media, but by everyone and everything around us. But when it comes down to it we all make a choice.
Reader,
I am quite sure from your reply that you do not quite understand the effect pitutary gland and and limbic systems have in Anorexia and Bulimia. In the caribbean, Anorexia and Bulimia is not wide subjects subjects of discussion ….In fact, journal or gastroenterology published epidemological studies on Bulimia and Anorexia prevelances in caribbean countries…look it up! What you would find is disproportoniate statisitcs in the south verses the north.. Social psychology dictates that Bulemia and Anorexia are psycho-social disorders driven by no other than social influx..DSM-IV also list Anorexia and Bulimia within that category…The Media has quite alot to do with it…look around you….
As to making choices you under estimate the unconcious vulnurability of the psyche..
Studies referencing the same were also published in Psychology monthly and journal of Public health …the results were basically those i referenceed before
if you need any proof why you shouldn’t listen to those people on much of anything just take a look at their lists on the 50 most beautiful people in the world or any such other garbage list they come up with. they might toss in J-Lo or Halle berry every once in a while to represent the world majorities
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