Body Image

(My friend Nicholas Chan have show me something that i would gladly shared among you guys out there. Here is his essay of Body Image. Read it!!! it is something worth reading)

Body image has been a serious issue globally as many people became unsatisfied with their bodies due to the unrealistic images of people shown. The appearance of a person depends on how the individual personally maintain their bodies. The media, size prejudice, peers and loved ones have contributed to the perception of body image in people.

One of the major causes of body image is the media. The media categorizes bodies as being slim and obese. Having a muscular or a slim body is widely accepted by society while a person who is obese is often discriminated. Bordo stated (n.d) that “the explosion of technologies aimed at bodily 'correction' and 'enhancement.'" The media deceives people by using latest technologies to edit body images and then advertise the edited body image. These images cause many people to be unsatisfied with their body. In addition, it also gives a different perspective where some people think that the body image which is advertised is the true figure. From conclusion, people tend to follow the advertisement which advertises unrealistic images.

The second major cause of body images is the size prejudice. Many people globally often judge bodies through its size. For example, a person who is muscular will be praised and be accepted in society while a person who is obese will find it difficult to be accepted in society. The person who has poor body image will find it hard to do things such as sports, concerning that he or she will be judge based on her body then whether to be accepted into the activity that he or she wants to participate. The person who is obese will also find it difficult to find job as the employer will judge the persons outlook. In conclusion, the person’s self esteem is affected.

The third major cause of body image is their peers and loved ones. The issue about body image is still a topic among peers. In some cases, they do not respect the person who is obese. In addition, the person who is obese feels that he or she is perceived among peers. For example, young ladies talking about how good looking they are and young men bragging about their muscular bodies. As a fact, peers often mock people among their age when that person has poor body image. In result, he or she wishes to lose weight to feel accepted by their peers as the increase of peer pressure in that individual. In conclusion, body image can cause peer pressure.

Even with the causes stated in the following paragraph above, there are effects of body image through health & fitness, beauty and attractiveness, and unhappiness.

Body images also have major effects. Thus, the first effect is health and fitness problem. For example, a person who has a mental disorder called anorexia nervosa appears to be unhealthy. They look skinny because they suffocated themselves by starving. In result from starving themselves, their heart beat slows down as their blood pressure decreases. As Stöppler stated (2008), individuals will also experience gastrointestinal complication as food rate absorption slows down. In other cases, a person who is suffering from bulimia will also experience health problems. Bulimia is a mental disorder where a person keeps eating, or also known as bingeing. The effect of a person having bulimia is where the individual goes to the toilet to induce vomiting after every meal and he or she will either be overweight, underweight or have a normal body weight. In result, the person’s esophagus is affected by ulcers, ruptured and strictures. Even the person’s teeth appear clearer as it shows the effect where the person has been vomiting. In conclusion, bulimia can also have critical medical issue.

The second effect of body image is about beauty and attractiveness. Bouchez (2008) stated “women are rarely satisfied with their appearance – and are always seeking a better body image.” Imagine two people in a room. One of them is happily dancing with confidence; meanwhile the other is standing at one corner in a grumpy manner, and having an angry expression on his or her face. Surely the attractive one is the one happily dancing around with confidence. Stöppler stated the beauty and attractiveness of a body image also can be an effect as it shows the individuals outlook. For instance, the effect of a person having anorexia is that their body weight appears 85% less than expected which is considered minimal. He or she will experience depression and social abandonment. As the fact of apparent weight loss, anorexia can affect the skin which appears to be dry, and turns skin yellow in colour. In result, the effect of the person suffering anorexia is that he or she will be having difficulty handling problems that he or she will be facing about their characteristics which is also adjuvant to their personal physical beauty. In conclusion, beauty and attractiveness of one’s body can affect his or her figures outlook.

The third effect of an individual having the type of body is that they are unhappy with it. Certain people have the fear of gaining weight and then becoming fat, even if the person is skinny or underweight. Furthermore, some people are even unsatisfied with their body even though they have a good body figure. A person who has a disease called gynecomastia will get traumatized emotionally because they have a feeling of shame that they have breast and other guys in school will be teasing him that he has breast. Unfortunately, the weight is not the problem. In conclusion, true happiness is how the individual handle his body with his daily diet, physical activities, and the way he accepts his body.

As a conclusion for the causes the unsatisfactory of body image of an individual, the individual must take action to reduce the effect such as exercising, going to sports more often, seeking help from loved ones, seeking help from therapist, surfing the internet to get information about their disease that they have and learn how to prevent further cause and prepare themselves mentally for the challenges up ahead. As stated, there are three major causes of body image, which are the press, size judgment, friends and families. Besides that, there are three effects which are health and fitness, self-esteem, and unhappiness.

Reported By:
Nicholas Chan