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Negative Body Image

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“I've gone through stages where I hate my body so much that I won't even wear shorts and a bra in my house because if I pass a mirror, that's the end of my day.” ― Fiona Apple, American singer-songwriter Negative body image and self-loathing are no longer surprising in people of all ages, particularly adolescent girls. People may not be acquainted with the word but they sure know how it feels. We live in a world where the need to look flawless is higher than achieving a superior GPA. Everyone is fixated with the way they look. Family and peer pressure along with media lead to establishment of unrealistic expectations, which instigate body dissatisfaction. Young girls starve themselves to loose weight in order to look like their peers, …show more content…

There are several theories to support this claim. The Social Comparison Theory being one such theory. This theory states that comparisons with thin waif like models leads to lowering of self-esteem. This appraisal introduces the notion in their mind that to be considered striking or attractive, one needs to be thin. Society gravitates towards women with thin bodies. Women believe that weight loss is the solution to all their problems; regardless of how unrelated the issue is and that they are more likely to achieve social professional and personal success if they are thin as compared to women with healthier bodies. Therefore, in order to achieve the socially desirable body, women tend to take extreme measures such as dieting and …show more content…

Social networking sites like Facebook and Instagram provide a permanent platform for comparing one’s physical appearance with his or her peers. This often fosters body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. Teenagers desire to look a certain way based on how their friends look. They starve themselves to become thinner in order to meet the benchmarks set by the members of their social circles. Media via magazines and television often regulates these standards. These standards cause them to discuss different diets and ways to lose weight and make slimness seem desirable and

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