Women in todays society
Women in today’s society are constantly being bombarded by media in one form or another. It could take the form of a fashion magazine, a favourite blog, a TV commercial or a myriad of other sources. Pretend for a moment you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, bored you hazard a glance over to the magazine rack and what do you see? A plethora of magazines, most covers adorned by thin, happy models. Many women see these models as the pinnacle of health and beauty, often feeling inadequate in comparison. They may strive to become like these women, radically changing their eating habits without fully knowing the potential consequences. The inability to measure up to this idealistic body standard has also been linked to anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. The evolution of technology has played a role in perpetuating the idealistic body image and bringing forth new methods to pursue it. An unrealistic body image has become an object of obsession for many women and this obsession is causing physical and psychological disease among women. According to Celia Milne’s article; Pressures to Conform “One of the main battlegrounds in the fight for improvement, of course, is eating” (Milne 222). Naturally, a lot of women see a change in eating habits as a way to directly impact their progress to their desired image. Milne points out that “The eating disorder centre says that its surveys show that fully 70 percent of Canadian women are preoccupied with their weight and 40 percent are yo-yo dieting” (Milne 222). Changing eating and exercise habits without proper research can have negative effects on someone’s body. This preoccupation with weight and dieting can lead to unhealthy eating habits and ultimately eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. The pursuit of this “flawless” body standard does not only affect women’s physical state, it can have devastating effects on mental health. A survey in Psychology Today states that “…24 percent of women said they