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Body Image - College Essays

Body Image

Bodies in America are no longer a quality unique to each person as they once were. Females especially are told through the media and by males how they are "supposed" to look, no matter how their bodies are naturally shaped. Female body image is an ever-lurking thought haunting women's minds. So what is the "right body to have as an American woman? Is there even such a thing? My attitudes about my body, as well as the standard for a woman's body, are generally not shared by my community. While in a predominately white community, women are expected to be five feet seven with very little body fat; the classic tall and thin body type--the body of a model, I don't fit this mold or view this as ...

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She focuses on the difference between young white and African American women in America. As Ingrassia states, "White teens defined perfection as 5 feet 7 and 100 to 110 pounds," while "African-American girls described the perfect size in more attainable terms--full hips, thick thighs, the sort of proportions about which Hammer and Sir Mix-A-Lot rap poetic." Neither view is right or wrong. The generalization about white teens' body standard is completely different compared to my own view as a white teen on female bodies. Being tall and thin is not always a healthy goal for teenage girls. As Denise Witmer states in the article "Body Image and the Media," "The average height and weight for a model is 5'10" and 110 pounds, and the height and weight for the average woman is 5'4" and 145 lbs," which "creates a tremendous health risk for young girls." The model image which white teens see as "perfection" can lead to unnecessary dieting and severe eating disorders, which are the case ...

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type is not always under her control.

I also do not share the view of African-American teens on the desired body type for females. While I do not want my body to be masculine, I am not as inclined to be "bootylicious," as young African-American women today. In addition to my own body, I also believe that this is not a faultless standard of body image. If teens are willing to gain weight to achieve the curvaceous body desired in their culture, it could lead to the acceptance of poor nutrition and exercise habits. American females of all ages need to find the area in between skinny and overweight, where strength and fitness lie.

The major contributor to the body image goals of ...

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 3/24/2011 05:27:04 PM
Submitted By: jelaw
Category: Women's Issues
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 1307
Pages: 5

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