All Dolled Up -'Bare truth' Disturbing: Girls Fixated on Body Image

South Bend (Ind.) Tribune ^ | January 26, 2003 | JULIE YORK COPPENS

[RonF]

It is plausible that small groups of people have been able to limit the choices of larger groups regarding clothing. Recently there were some newspaper stories on children's fashion. Parents have been complaining that they have a hard time actually finding clothing for their kids that are relatively modest. The stores have much more stock and selection in the "teen-age tart" styles.

[68skylark]

I don't mean to sound argumentative but it seems that you feel that being underweight is less dangerous, but it can cause just as many serious health risks as being overweight.

Thanks for the note. We may have more agreement than you think -- I don't know.

I'd say that the health risks of being seriously underweight for an individual are as bad (or worse) than being seriously overweight. That's the point you're making - right? And I totally agree with that.

But when I look around I see a hundred people who seem to have a problem with being way overweight for every one who looks serioulsy underweight. Therefore, I conclude that both conditions are serious public health problems, but the problem of being way overweight is far more common -- and therefore I'd probably say obesity is much more serious from a public health standpoint. Am I wrong?

[Aquinasfan]

Could I ask what phenomenon is "dangerous"?

Girls (up through adults) are increasingly obsessed with their looks and achieving the "perfect" body in particular. I can't cite any particular study that would define this trend. I'm just extrapolating from my own observations. But a good indicator of the extent of this problem might be a rise in the cases of anorexia among teenage girls.

Why is this a problem? There are many reasons, both positive and negative. Positively, poor body image can result in pathological behavior among girls and young women and, along with the impossible expectations of young men, also makes it more difficult to achieve healthy long term relationships, i.e. healthy marriages. In our culture, women are increasingly measured by the sum of their body parts, not the content of their character.

Secondly, this "cult of the body" is an enormous waste of time and talent. Young women simply waste an enormous amount of energy and resources in a hopeless pursuit of bodily perfection. This vice used to be known as vanity. Which wife is of more value, a plain, virtuous wife or vain, pretty wife? Which will contribute more to society? The classic example is the amount of ink spilled over the deaths of Mother Theresa versus Lady Diana in the media.

[68skylark]

According to my wife, much of fashion is women trying to impress other women, rather than look attractive to men.

Yeah, I've heard this, and I think we've had at least one woman make the same comment here (above).

Women have this amazing talent for giving each other grief -- makes me glad I'm a guy.

[68skylark]

But a good indicator of the extent of this problem might be a rise in the cases of anorexia among teenage girls.

If I read your post right, you're making a similar point to the author of this piece, and it's a point that's also been made (over and over) in other articles. The point seems to be that "society" is putting too much emphasis on keeping thin.

I'm just not sure I agree with the thrust of this argument -- my perceptions are pretty much the opposite.

It seems to me I see far more people making themselves sick and unhappy from being way overweight, compared with the numbers who make themselves sick and unhappy through excessive weight loss.

Seems to me that "society" isn't doing enough to get out messages to young people about the importance and benefits of keeping their weight under control.

Let me know what you think.

[Aquinasfan]

It strikes me that modern popular culture has put a premium on youth ever since motion pictures, and accelerated a good deal since the advent of television, possibly due to the dynamic nature of these media in emphasizing physical activity. Just a thought and I throw it out for comment - that's what FR's for, after all.

Visual images are more powerful than the written word. I agree with your point.

I think it is pernicious to be telling adolescents "this is the prime time of your lives, don't miss it - you'll be miserable when you're old." To be honest, I can't think of a single aspect of life that isn't better for me at 50 than at 16

I agree. I was depressed and confused at 16 and I thought, "these are the best years of my life?!" Life is immeasurably better at 40.

[Slyfox]

I think that standing at the check-out line is a visual assault to the senses. I have talked to a number of women who said that when they were holding their firstborn child at the grocery store, nothing made them more depressed than looking at the front page magazine photos of all the young skinny models. They said it made them feel fat and somewhat insecure.

I would imagine that those models are having the very same result on young teens.

[537 Votes]

I don't think bodily obsession is a good trend, but with American females reaching all-time record levels of obesity, something rings hollow here. I think this article is more an example of the modern American female's obsession with self-pity.

[rmmcdaniell]

I'll vote for the downward slope.

I won't. In centuries past women used to bind thier feet for beauty, file down thier teeth to make them more white, and purposely infect themselves with tapeworms in order to stay thin. The world has always had its problems and right now is no different than before.

[danelectro]

this is the artist's online photo exhibit for girl culture.

[The FRugitive]

[Southack]

"This really grew out of the last book I did, 'Fast Forward,' which was about kids growing up in L.A., how they grow up so quickly, and specifically looking at the culture of materialism," she said."

Except that children aren't really maturing (mentally) faster, they are simply becoming more material oriented, as well as learning to be more agressive and cycnical and manipulative in their attempts to obtain said materialism.

For instance, a mature child does not "purge" her supper in order to try to keep her skinny figure looking slim-enough to attract the most superficial boys, but a cynical, manipulative, materialistic child will so do.

---

In Genesis, we are told that Cain slew Able. What we aren't told (because today's clergy are all hopelessly uneducated in the classics as well as superficial and materialist themselves) is that "Cain" is Yiddish/ancient Hebrew for "spear", while "Able" means "vanity" in that dialect.

Thus, recorded human history essential began around the time when humans finally slew the vanity that lives amongst us, a battle that we are still fighting to this very day.

[babble-on]

I wonder if the depression resulting from obesity isn't another symptom of societal pressure though. Not all people's bodies are the same. There are people who are "fat" by society's subjective standards, who are actually fit in a cardio-vascular sense and quite healthy and will live to a ripe old age.

I think the point of the body-image thing is not really a "health" point, which is why your harping on that theme is sort of extra-topical. I think the reason why this article seems like a serious topic to conservatives is that it is that so many, women in particular, but also men, derive their sense of self-worth/ lack of self-worth, and also the worth of their peers, from their appearance and their peers' appearance. To determine social status on something so basic is a sign of a very shallow culture, and one that has lost some of the ideals which created western civilisation.

[68skylark]

I don't think bodily obsession is a good trend, but with American females reaching all-time record levels of obesity, something rings hollow here. I think this article is more an example of the modern American female's obsession with self-pity.

Well, not all women are obsessed with self-pity (especially Freeper women), but a lot of women (and men) are.

And they prefer to read stories that say "society is oppressing you." That's more fun than a story which tells the truth, which is "you'd be happier and healthier if you'd eat less and exercise -- take more responsibility for yourself."

[68skylark]

Thanks, I might check that out later.

[underthesun]

But when I look around I see a hundred people who seem to have a problem with being way overweight for every one who looks serioulsy underweight.

We probably do agree. There are far more people in this world that suffer from obesity than severe Anorexia, but more people suffer from eating disorders than it seems just by looking at people. In fact most bulimics maintain an average appropriate weight but what they do to their bodies by binging and purging causes damage that can't be seen by the naked eye. True that you see very few people walking around the street that are emancipated but what you don't see are the 1000's of people that are only 5-10lbs underweight that are engaging in the same distuctive behaviors that the person who is 5'6' and 95lbs. I agree though that both are very serious problems.

Speaking toward general society, I just wish people would stop making it sound as if you are a thin person then you are healthy and fit. You look the "perfect image" that this culture has created. If you are fat you have a health problem and need help. Both positions need help, it's just that society views thin as beautiful so how can beautiful be unhealthy. Just remember that anorexia and bulimia and even compulsive eating more often than not can not be seen in passing (especially in the beginning) and you see most people with clothes on, and a baggy sweatshirt can cover a lot. One thing that anorexics are masters at is hiding their body.

[68skylark]

You make a lot of good points. Maybe my hundred-to-one comment is an exaggeration.

I just think it's really strange that lots of articles about women and their images of their body (like the article above) often say that society puts too much emphasis on being thin. 'Cause I look around and see way too many people who seem to be quite overweight (it's much worse among poorer people and in rural areas). So I'm thinking maybe "society" doesn't put enough emphasis on the benefits of keeping weight down into a good, healthy range.

[Lizavetta]

"I really want to be a teenager. Now. Really fast," says Lily, 6, in one of the revealing interviews that accompany the photographs. "(Teenagers) dress up cool so boys like them. I saw it in a movie. They get dressed so fashionable, like a doll and stuff. They usually do this cool makeup, like lipstick. And a really blushy face. It's cool."

As opposed to my 6 year-old daughter, who 'gallops' around the house in her panties pretending she's a horse, Bambi, or one of our dogs.....who will dress up in sweatpants, a leotard (over the sweats), her pink cowboy hat, and a backpack, and then want to go to town....who deliberately eats onions and garlic just so she can chase her older brothers around the house to *breathe* heavily on them.....has no clue who Britney Spears is.....and makes up her own vocabulary of words like "beanstrapper" and "poopsnotter" when she can't think of anything else.

In other words, she's totally innocent of pop culture, she does her own thing, and she's a lunatic. Oh, and she doesn't go to school, thank God, where all of this would be shamed out of her for being different.

[underthesun]

I just think it's really strange that lots of articles about women and their images of their body (like the article above) often say that society puts too much emphasis on being thin.

It is not just articles that put the pressure on. Just look at post#69, I know this was meant as light hearted in this case but it is images like this that are through out the media an a daily basis that make women want to achieve something that is unrealistic. Yes we should emphasize keeping weight to a healthy level not over or under but I think the first step needs to be that we change society's idea of the ideal weight. To often are pictures of these airbrushed women thrown out to the public as being "perfect" and something to aspire to. It is sad.

[68skylark]

She sounds like a really good kid! (She sounds like my little niece.)

And while I'm not one of the Freepers who feels popular culture is evil, I think kids benefit from some sheltering from it, especially at younger ages.