Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

            “Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.”(Markus Zusak)(Quotes) This quote makes good sense after seeing the movie Miss Representation. This movie was about the obsession women have to be more beautiful. Most women are unhappy with their bodies and the way they look. Because of this unhappiness, young girls and adults either have eating disorders, depression, or are thinking about plastic surgery to correct their flaws. The media and photo enhancing programs make all women out to be perfect models.

            “53 percent of girls age 13 are unhappy with their bodies, and 78 percent by age 17.” (Miss Representation)  By the media showing these beautiful women, more and more females try and strive to look like someone that is made picture perfect.  Women are more likely to criticize other women about having a perfect body which is another reason why we strive to look better. Most women are depressed about their shape or size. The ones that are thin want to be thinner, and ones that are a healthy size want to be smaller.  “Women seem to want what they don’t have, whether bigger breasts, smaller bums, a tighter waist, sleeker legs an up turned nose or a wider smile.” (BBC News)

            This brings us to women and plastic surgery. Women want to make the most of their selves, but more and more young women are turning to plastic surgery to obtain that perfect body. “2/3 of women would consider having plastic surgery & 26% said they would definitely do it in the future” (BBC News)Women feel that with bigger breasts could possibly boost ones sex life, help with their careers, or that more men preferred  them. “Some of the top five surgical procedures in 2010 were breast augmentations, liposuction, eyelid surgery, abdomnioplasty, and breast reduction.” (Cosmetic) With cosmetic surgeries becoming more and more popular, some women have become addicted and have totally destroyed their natural beauty.

            “The National Institute of Mental health estimates that eating disorders affect more than 5 million Americans each year, 90 % are women between the ages of 12 & 25.”(Teen Health) Young girls’ today see just how beautiful and picture perfect the young actresses and models are on television. They want to be just like them. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are psychological disorders that involve extreme disturbances in eating behaviors.  By people being overweight they feel that purging or vomiting will help them lose weight. After so many times of doing this it becomes a normal routine after they eat that they become addicted. “Several warning signs of bulimia are excessive exercising, frequent use of laxatives or diuretics, depressed moods, disappearing after a meal and overeating when distressed.”(Teen Health)

There is no one thing that causes these eating disorders, young women may have low self-esteem and be preoccupied with having a thin body. I feel the producers of television shows, and advertisements with young beautiful women are partially to blame for the way young girls try and make themselves more beautiful.

            I feel women are their own worst enemy when it comes to how they feel about their bodies. “The truth is men are happy with us the way we are –it’s the women who point out our flaws. It’s time we did ourselves a favor and let go of the unattainable “perfect” body dream and celebrated the female form in all its uniqueness.” (BBC News) Women strive for physical beauty; they mutilate their bodies with breast implants, tummy tucks, and other surgical procedures. What they fail to realize, inner beauty is what’s important to most men.

            Other than plastic surgery and women with eating disorders, there are many ways to lose weight and feel good about you. The first thing is eating healthy and exercising. Doctors recommend that you keep a daily diary of what you eat, eat smaller proportions, drink 64oz of water a day, eat healthy snacks and get at least eight hours of good quality sleep a night. They also recommend at least 30 minutes a day exercising. If you change your eating habits your weight will come off and stay off. Just remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder. “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, know suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”(Elisabeth Kubler Ross)(Quotes)