Body Image Essay

Body Image in A Cultural Context
Body image has always been a struggle for adolescent boys and girls. During adolescence people experience many changes which can cause them to grow confident or insecure about themselves. Things such as teasing, weight, and society can aid in teenage boys and girls to have a negative view of themselves and their bodies. The article “Body Dissatisfaction Among Adolescent Boys and Girls” by Margaret Lawler and Elizbeth Nixon further elaborates the struggles of adolescents in regards to their body image. The poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy also aids in understanding negative body image among young girls. In the article “Body Dissatisfaction Among Adolescent Boys and Girls” the authors discuss teasing and how

This talks about the pressure that many girls face in order to be thin. This is a very big issue that many adolescent girls face a constant pressure to be thinner and prettier. “ more than three quarters of adolescent girls within the normal body mass range experienced body dissatisfaction, with nearly all desiring a smaller body size relative to their current figure.” (Lawler, Nixon 67). This shows that even girls and boys who are a normal healthy size still have internal body images and want to look different. Young girls who are bigger have a more intense desire to be smaller and also face more criticism (Lawler, Nixon 62). In “Barbie Doll” the author talks about the body attributes that the girl in the poem has such as being smart, healthy and strong, but at the end of the stanza the author states “Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.” (Piercy). This shows that young girls can possess so many positive characteristics both physically and personality wise, yet if she is bigger, even in one way that is all anyone can focus on. In the same stanza it talks about how the young girl “went to and fro apologizing” (Piercy). This shows her self confidence rapidly declining. Her body image is so

The article states “with adolescent females being more inclined than males to discuss appearance and weight loss concerns with peers … girls talked to friends about dieting”(Lawler, Nixon 60). This shows that the desire to lose weight is something very common among adolescent girls and it is something that is talked about causally. The desire to be built differently is something that is not even seen as normal without the thought of how damaging it truly is to adolescents' self-esteem. The article also states “Body image dissatisfaction is of growing importance owing to its implication as a risk factor in the subsequent onset of eating disorders (Stice et al. 2002), depression (McCreary and Sasse 2000), emotional distress” (Lawler, Nixon 59)” This shows that the a negative body image cause a great deal of emotional anguish, and has a very negative effect on one mental and emotional health. Having a poor view of oneself, especially at a young age is such a dangerous thing because it can have an effect that could lead to in extreme cases death. The poem states “She was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.” (Pericy). This shows how the young girl in the poem was told to lose weight and exercise and began to do so. Something that happens to many young girls which only heightens the