Pro-Ana View Point of The Perfect Body?

Body Image is defined as the mental representation of your physical self at any given point in time. Body image refers to how you see yourself, how you feel others perceive you, and what you believe about your physical appearance. Body image is influenced more by self-esteem than by how physically attractive you are to others. It is how you feel about and in your body. Our body image is directly related to our self-esteem. The more negative our perception of our bodies, the more negative we feel about ourselves. Our beliefs about our bodies also influence our behavior, especially in relationship to others. Our ability to make healthy decisions and negotiate intimacy is highly dependent on our body image.

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The Western society has created an unrealistic perception of the “perfect body.” The standards of beauty are being imposed on women. The roots, some analysts say, are economic. By presenting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. And it is no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty.

The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells “ordinary” women that they are always in need of adjustment and that the female body is an object to be perfected. Women who are insecure about their bodies are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth $100 billion a year. On the other hand, research indicates that exposure to images of lingerie models, for example, are linked to depression and loss of self-esteem in women and girls.
It has been reported that women’s magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than men’s magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of women’s magazines include at least one message about how to change a woman’s bodily appearance by diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery.
Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her body would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of the intestine. The traditional Barbie is known for her 36-18-38 measurements, voluminous long blond hair and perfect features. A doll who, if she were real, would be too thin to fit all of her internal organs and is too busty to stand on her feet.
It is unfortunate that Barbie and the media’s message have not changed much over the years. The image of perfection has remained and so has the reality of the real human body and how unattainable Barbie’s figure really is. This plastic princess’ unrealistic body type – busty with a tiny waist, thin thighs and long legs – is reflective of our culture’s feminine ideal. Even though Barbie is not entirely to blame, she certainly has not helped this downward spiral we find ourselves in as women today.