"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" - Kate Moss.
Is body image brainwashing the youth of today? Body image needs
to be spoken about-so why is this topic taking over society? Many people are
feeling more pressure than ever to look 'attractive' and imitate the
unobtainable aesthetics of public figures in the media; even if these images
have been edited by Photoshop.
People are obsessing over the way everybody looks , saying that
in order to be happy and fulfilled in your life you must have a body that
society approves of. Celebrities and all media platforms are, in my opinion,
the main contributors to body image pressure. With models and public figures
making it evident that only 'skinny' people and those with 'fit' bodies have
the right to be happy and have a successful life.
Currently in the UK models for major fashion houses, such as
Burberry (A British cult classic brand) are using models who are significantly
smaller than the national averages. Recent stats have shown that the average
model in London Fashion week is 5ft 10 inches, compared to the average women in
Britain who is 5ft 4. Not only are these women a lot taller (which admittedly
is down to genetics) but they also weigh significantly less; with a huge
deficit of 59lbs between the average model and the average woman. Due to the vast
differences between and shape many average women are feeling as if their bodies
are perhaps not what is 'right' - and feelings of Body Mass index or BMI
as it is commonly known is a big topic of discussion within the fashion
industry in and around the globe. The principle behind the BMI calculator is to
see if the individual is a healthy weight according to medical professionals
are whether they are under or over weight. It has sparked fury in the industry
as it has indicated that up to 94 of models from prominent agencies are
woefully underweight with a BMI of less than 18.5 and an estimated 40% are suffering
with an eating disorder.
Promoting self- love is vital in ensuring that young people
develop into individuals who have a positive view of themselves. In order to
promote and make young people appreciate that everyone is different and special
in their own ways should start from a young age in my opinion. Schools should
play a major part in educating; not just academically but also in how to be a
happy and self- assured. Public figures such as ‘Fashion Guru’ Gok Wan, have
emphasised how imperative education is in order to encourage and stimulate positive
body image. “Every single child needs to be taught about body dysmorphia.” –
Gok Wan. Wan even went as far as parliament and to the authorities to strive to
achieve getting a ‘Body image lesson’ into schools around the United Kingdom-
but the MP’s decided it wasn’t important… But then again are we really
surprised they would have that outlook? If we look at the wider picture, all we
seem to see is people un-satisfied with what they see in the mirror who are all
obsessing over stretch marks and fat that society says ‘shouldn’t’ be there. As
a society we have an impact and obligation to instil the young people of today
with confidence in themselves and try to keep them from the clutches of the
media and their brainwashing.
I feel discussing the topic of food and nutrition is also
important when talking about body image and the media. With all these crash
diets flying round, with individuals calling themselves ‘Nutritionists’ when
they do not possess even one qualification?! Crash diets are incredibly
dangerous roads to go down. The banana diet emphasises this perfectly- an Australian
woman advocated eating only bananas in order to drop a dress size. Crazed
fitness fanatics jumped on board encouraging everyone to adopt this new and distorted
view of ‘healthy’ eating. Recently new studies have been released regarding
eating disorder statistics in the United Kingdom; it has been documented that 9%
of women will suffer from anorexia in their lifetime and 3% of men. So as a
society I feel we should invest more time and taxpayers money to help those
individuals who have been brainwashed by the media. Therefore requiring higher
levels of support, guidance and education on how to fuel their body and how to
have a healthy view of your body and the way you feel in your own skin.
