Beautiful Body

Eat, eat, eat and be extremely thin; this hypocritical message is flaunted by the media. We should ignore this contradicting message that is destroying so many lives and be happy with our own body image. The extremely thin look that is plastered all over the media is causing discontentment with body image in millions of Americans with some cases becoming so great that they lead to eating disorders. It is important to eat three balanced meals a day, with a few light healthy snacks to keep the body healthy and strong.Tall and thin has not always been the “in” image. In the middle ages large people were accepted and looked up to as their great size was a sign of wealth, they could afford a lot of food. But as time went on this view changed steel corsets were used in the seventeenth century to keep women’s bodies small and thin. As newspapers and magazines become increasingly popular and people moved into cities and towns, the thin image was pushed as the attractive and acceptable body.Since this time the Western media has taken the tall and thin image and ran with it. Television and magazines are covered with tall, very thin oval faces. According to Eating Disorders, a recent book by Ruth Bjorklund, the average female model is 5 foot 11 inches tall with a weight less than 120 pounds. For someone who is that tall 120 pounds is underweight and unhealthy they should weigh at least fifteen pounds more. It also sends the negative message “you are not good enough” to the average american woman who is only 5’4” and who weighs 140 pounds, a healthy weight. Still magazines covers are coated with new, amazing, and fast acting weight loss programs. By age 13 fifty-three percent of american girls are dissatisfied with their bodies, this percentage increases to seventy-eight percent when American girls reach the age of seventeen. Most men in the media are tall, extremely strong, and overly muscular; this is not reality as the majority of men do not have this body type.Half of the commercials aimed towards males involve men being aggressive, according to media family, while half of the commercials geared towards females involve being physically attractive. The average child views ten-thousand food commercials per-year, yet only two percent of these commercials encourage fruits, vegetables, or beans. In one year Pepsi spends 2.1 billion dollars on advertising, says the department of Washington, and McDonald’s spends 1.2 billion dollars on advertising. No wonder people are torn between being super thin or buff and eating a lot of unhealthy food.Healthy eating is essential to a person as it is a source of energy and health. Ruth Bjorklund’s book, Eating Disorders, reminds us that nutritious foods help our bodies fight disease, grow, make energy, think clearly, and balance moods. On average the teenage girl needs 2,000 calories a day and the teenage boy needs between 2,500 and 3,000 calories a day. The number of calories needed is higher for those who exercise more than half and hour a day (mypyramid.gov). Remember portions are important; the body needs protein to build and mend muscle, vitamins to stay healthy, carbohydrates to fuel the body, and fats to keep the skin moist.The struggle to fit into the media’s depiction of “normal” and “attractive” has caused millions to turn to eating disorders for help. One million males and seven million females in the United Sates have an eating disorder; sadly an additional fifteen percent of the population has unhealthy eating habits according to Bjorklund. Anorexia Nervosa means the loss of appetite because of nervousness; even though, those with anorexia actually ignore their appetites rather than lose their appetites. People with anorexia are terrified to gain weight and so they do not eat, or they eat extremely little. It is important to remember that during puberty, a time when most eating disorders form, it is common and healthy to gain around forty pounds (Eating Disorders). Bulimia Nervosa is the eating disorder in which a person overeats a lot and then purges, commonly by vomiting, using laxatives, or diet pills, to rid their bodies of the food. This eating disorder is not usually a successful weight loss as more food is consumed than it is possible to purge. Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, along with other eating disorders such as anorexia athletia, night eating disorder, Binge- Eating disorder, Prader-Willi Syndrome, and Pica are all extremely dangerous and have caused the death of many people. Karen Carpenter was a famous pop star of the eighties; she died after eight years of being secretly anorexic. She is quoted in Eating Disorders, “It was just a few innocent comments about my weight and body that stung like a bee.” Negative comments geared toward the physical body is only one of the many reasons people turn to eating disorders other reasons include low self-esteem, lack of support, trauma, relationship stress, and the want to “fit in” and be popular; there are other ways to cope with these issues such as talking to a trusted and caring adult who can provide guidance and support.Now is the time to take a stand against the two-faced message that is ruining so many lives and find satisfaction in the attractive healthy body. The media may send out a message calling people to eat large amounts of food and still be super-thin; however, this message is unrealistic and misguiding. Millions have become so dissatisfied with their body image that they have turned to eating disorders to fit into the idealistic world created by the media. There is a better solution, eat healthy, and be content with the beautiful, strong, and healthy body you already have.