Added: 11/20/2005 |
The Appearance on the Outside Worth More Than What?s InsideIn historic times, men desired women who were 'plump,' as they were considered to be strong women. Men took their round shape as a sign of health and fertility, while women who had the appearance of being skinny were considered frail and fragile. Times have changed though, and the standards set by society of how women should look have made a complete 180 degree turnaround. Now women must be stick thin to be considered beautiful, and it often seems to be a competition to see who can become the skinniest without looking like a corpse.
Society has taught people about stereotyping based on the appearance of someone's body. Everyone knows what the hot look is and frowns upon those who don't fall into that category. Preferential treatment is given to these people, even though lots of people claim they do not treat people differently based on looks. However, several celebrities have dressed up and went undercover to prove people do treat others differently without even realizing it. Gwyneth Paltrow, Jay McGraw, and Tyra Banks all altered the appearance of their bodies to experience life as someone who is considered not attractive by society's standards. Each of them found that people were ruder, less helpful, dishonest in dealing with them, and even made snide comments about them within earshot.
One of the major problems about stereotyping women and the appearance they maintain is the problems it can lead to. One of the main problems, especially with young girls ranging in age from elementary to high school is a lowered self-esteem. Middle School and High School is a time of identity development in adolescents. They are at a critical point where they are trying to determine who they are and what makes them unique from everyone else. Young females find it hard to love their body during this time when social pressures and society are demanding a look they don't have. This pressure, combined with low self-esteem and perfectionism can often times lead to an eating disorder. These girls believe if they only lose a few more pounds they will look perfect. Once they've lost a few pounds though, they still won't look like the models. They will find themselves unattractive and strive to lose a few pounds more. The vicious cycle will continue until professional treatment is arranged or serious health problems or even death occur. Once an eating disorder is started, it is impossible for the individual to stop on their own, even if they can acknowledge they have a problem. A scary trend has developed though, as girls younger and younger are developing eating disorders. Even girls as young as seven have had to have professional treatment to overcome the eating disorder they had already developed in their short lifetime.
Stereotypes dictated by society can slowly change overtime. However, many people along the way are subjected to consequences of these stereotypes before changes are made. Low self-esteem, eating disorders and even death can occur due to society's pressure to have the perfect body. Women need to realize that it's not all about the appearance, but instead, it truly is about what's on the inside.
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