Body Image and Unrealistic Goals

It's easy to get frustrated with unrealistic goals about our body, because every day we see hundreds of images and messages about how we should look. These unrealistic goals can lead to dissatisfaction towards your body and your looks.

Women in particular are targeted to look "delicate, soft and pretty." Even though women nowadays have a bigger role in society, their primary goal is still to look pretty.

I still remember when my friend told m, "If  she is pretty she doesn't have to study. She is pretty, that's her job."

I'm sorry, but this is the world we live in, where our image matters more than our capability. It's sad, but true.

Most teenage girls dream of having a super thin, fashion-model body, but little do they know, only 98 percent of the population in America has that body weight. This unattainable goal, drives women to engage in unhealthy eating habits in order to lose weight.

Many girls try to obtain that perfect thin body, engaging in some unhealthy activity involving calorie restriction and purging. They will go days eating less than the minimum required to survive, lacking many nutrients and vitamins.

Others will eat lots of food in one sitting, and then fast for a very long time. They might also use laxatives or excessive work outs in order to burn all the calories consumed.

Eating disorders are not fun, in fact, they are very dangerous. Health effects of a unbalanced diet include: loss of calcium, lack of menstruation or amenorrhea in women, low blood pressure, low energy, depressed mood, increased risk of infection, abdominal pain, irregular heart rhythms, sore throat and many more.

Some people may engage in activity disorder, where they train for longer periods of time, and feel they are controlling their body, when in fact, they are hurting themselves.

Reports also show that race and ethnicity take a big role in these case.  America for example has a huge impact in body image and looking pretty is a must. In other countries the ideal body image might be more attainable, or people might not put much effort in looking like a magazine ad.

Black women have shown to have a higher body satisfaction and higher self-esteem than white women in America.

It's also important to understand that this images we see everyday have been amended. Lighting, editing, crops and many other effects has been added to the picture to make it look ideal. Is it ideal to have an ad that only covers 2 percent of our nation?

I don't think so.

I believe these unrealistic goals further these diseases, leading more people to be self-conscious about their body. You can choose to ignore them and focus on your health instead.

Accept yourself and embrace your flaws.