The idea of “beauty standards” is very complex. Beauty, by definition, is a combination of qualities such as shape, color, or form that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. This is a very broad definition, however, there does seem to be an underlying “ideal” or “perfect” body type that comes to people’s minds when they hear the word “beautiful.” People who fail to meet this expectation start to develop self-esteem issues which can lead to mental illnesses and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
Beauty standards have evolved a lot over time. For example, if you compare Marilyn Monroe to any modern day Victoria’s Secret model, they have almost completely different body types. Marilyn Monroe was extremely popular in …show more content…
It’s the same with beauty standards. Many people don’t meet the expectations of the previously mentioned “ideal,” they start to develop a low self-esteem. This is when beauty standards start to lead to mental illnesses. In order to achieve that perfect body, many people will start to diet in ways that are extremely unhealthy. To try and lose weight many people limit their calorie intake to very dangerous levels and some just completely starve themselves. This is a growing issue with children and adolescents. I learned from Source C that, “more than half of girls and one-third of boys as young as 6 to 8 think their ideal weight is thinner than their current size.” Children at this age are very easily influenced, so when you hand a little girl a Barbie doll she might start to wonder why her stomach isn’t as flat as Barbie’s and why her thighs are touching but Barbie’s aren’t. A report discussed in Source C also said that “by age 7, one in four kids has engaged in some kind of dieting behavior.” This is because of the unrealistic beauty standards set by society. Some people’s bodies are built to where they physically can not get that thigh gap that a model in a magazine has, but this won’t stop them from
Beauty standards have evolved a lot over time. For example, if you compare Marilyn Monroe to any modern day Victoria’s Secret model, they have almost completely different body types. Marilyn Monroe was extremely popular in …show more content…
It’s the same with beauty standards. Many people don’t meet the expectations of the previously mentioned “ideal,” they start to develop a low self-esteem. This is when beauty standards start to lead to mental illnesses. In order to achieve that perfect body, many people will start to diet in ways that are extremely unhealthy. To try and lose weight many people limit their calorie intake to very dangerous levels and some just completely starve themselves. This is a growing issue with children and adolescents. I learned from Source C that, “more than half of girls and one-third of boys as young as 6 to 8 think their ideal weight is thinner than their current size.” Children at this age are very easily influenced, so when you hand a little girl a Barbie doll she might start to wonder why her stomach isn’t as flat as Barbie’s and why her thighs are touching but Barbie’s aren’t. A report discussed in Source C also said that “by age 7, one in four kids has engaged in some kind of dieting behavior.” This is because of the unrealistic beauty standards set by society. Some people’s bodies are built to where they physically can not get that thigh gap that a model in a magazine has, but this won’t stop them from