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... resource for unreasonable image standards is directly effecting the Caucasian girls as opposed to others for their ideal differs than that of other cultures. Research has proved that different cultures have different ideals of the perfect body and different standards of beauty. For example, studies have shown that white and black girls have different images of the "ideal girl." White girls, much more than black girls, opt for an unrealistic body of 5 ' 7 " 100 pounds.
Much of the cultural diversity with body image has to do with the role models of that particular culture. A majority of women seen on TV and magazines have what seem to be flawless bodies with the most recent fad of the waif look, and many of these women are white. Other cultures seem to value full figured women more than others and this is evident from what we see in the media. This may explain why 90 % of white teenage girls were dissatisfied with their bodies, while only a mere 30 % of black girls were. Why is there such a difference between cultures?
There are a few possible explanations. First, most black men value a full figured women more than white men would. Also, black women are more prone to having hypertension as adults, therefor, they are not as worried about gaining weight. White women tend to focus on weight issues because they tend to live in environments that value thinness and dieting.
A recent study done by Fernham and Baguma in 1994 demonstrated that, "the greater the wealth (of a country or society) the more thinness is felt desirable" (Something Fishy Website). A large majority of girls with eating disorders are those fairly middle class individuals. Most black women don't view a fuller figure as a negative aspect; rather they see it as a sign of prosperity and happiness. There is also another difference between white and black teens.
White girls tend to envy and loathe a person who has that ideal figure and those women are actually resented for it. African American teens on the other hand, support and respect women who match their version of ideal. So does this mean that their body image standards are changing to conform to popular standards as well? Or will other cultures be influenced by Black and Hispanic standards? With Grammy winners such as Will Smith and Lauren Hill, hip-hop culture has become mainstream in recent years.
Although it seems as though this may bring a new body image ideal to mainstream as well, it might have the opposite effect because another growing problem for Black and Hispanic women today is the increase of thin media figures of their culture who represent the same appearance standard. Such figures like Mariah Carrey and Jennifer Lopez are influencing young girls to aspire to be like them. It seems as though Black and Hispanics are also conforming to popular culture belief that thinness is in. Although African American and Hispanic women tend to value full figures more than white women, in no way are they immune to eating disorders and poor self-image due to weight issues due to media and society. "Dangerous Eating" (Essence Magazine, Villarosa) featured an article on the subject of Eating Disorders is Black women, providing a possible insight. "The Black-American culture traditionally accepts more fat on women than the White culture, but when Black middle-class women become integrated into White culture while they are trying to get ahead, they become more at risk of developing Eating Disorders. " Black and Hispanic women do face problems related to their body image just as white women do.
The white ideal is more excepted in the business world today and it can lead to complications for women whose ideal differs. This then forces Black and Hispanic women to become competitive in the workplace and with their bodies. Along with the influences of other cultures today, which are changing how we feel about our body image, there seems to be a more desirable fad than the waif look of the early nineties. Since the wide spreading popularity of plastic surgery the next new image women are trying to have is the totally-flat-except-for-exceptionally-large-breast s look that current stars such as Pamela Anderson and Tyra Banks have made famous.
The look is unnatural and physically impossible for many body types to have naturally, making that want for that ideal body even harder and making people go to the extent of altering their bodies through expensive surgery. Even Pamela's recent removal of her breast implants does little to extinguish that image because her supposed "C-cup" still seems to unreasonable for the average woman. Exercise is obviously healthy, but how far will people go to burn off their problem areas? Most professionals, such as doctors and health specialists, will say that too much focus on body image is bad but thankfully women are beginning to no longer trying to squeeze themselves into a size two with the growing, but not yet popular enough, fad of healthier bodies with a reasonable weight. For example, a few companies such as Jockey underwear, Gap, and Anne Klein are all beginning to use a new line of models with a healthier look. So are women going to have reasonable body image goals?
Maybe that's a question to ask ourselves. Also, maybe this new media fad will change women self images as other decades have shown such changes. Perhaps women are realizing that the anorexic look does not portray such self-control and obedience but actually an image of weakness and vulnerability. The healthy look may finally solve women's' body battles with a healthy focus on fitness rather than thinness. The next step is for society to make such a look acceptable and more desirable with the help of the media exposure and influence of popular role models today. But the media hasn't completely conformed to the new look and as long as there are beautiful, thin people plaguing the covers of magazines and on every channel on TV, the obsession will continue.
Even with the positive role models of every culture, thinness and perfection seems to still be plaguing society today. "I particularly fear for this generation whose sense of self-esteem is so connected to having a perfect body" ("Board", Habib). The important thing is how people handle it and the extent they take it to. The people of today's generation must realize that image is only skin deep, only when one moves beyond admiring appearance that is when they can live their lives to the fullest extent. Bibliography: WORKS CITED Berman, Nina. "Disappearing Acts. " Speculations.
Ed. Charles I. Schuster, William V. Van Pelt. - 2 nd ed. Upper Saddle River: A Blair Press Book, 1996. 348 - 53 Wolf, Naomi, "Hunger: A Feminists Critique" Speculations. Ed.
Charles I. Schuster, William V. Van Pelt 2 nd ed. Upper Saddle River: A Blair Press Book, 1996. 354 - 69 Hesse-River, Sharlene Janice. Am I Thin Enough Yet? : The Cult of Thinness and the Commercialism of Identity. New York: Oxford Press, 1996.
web "The Something Fishy Website on Eating Disorders", 1999 Something Fishy Music and Publishing, web "Dartmouth College Homepage", 1999. Trustees of Dartmouth College. Hanover, New Hampshire Habib, Dan. web "Teen Sexuality: In a Culture of Confusion", 1995, Impact Visuals
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Research essay sample on Upper Saddle River Eating Disorders
