Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ESSAY TOPIC
Photos of celebrities overwhelm magazines and the tabloids not only focus on
their achievements and personal lives but also on their outstanding and dainty
figures.
Do you think the prevailing image we have of what is an attractive body shape is
realistic or fair? Why?/ Why not? Give examples to support your views.
Outstanding= striking
dainty= delicate
figure= body shape
overwhelm= overload
The greater our discontent with how we measure up when compared to the societal
or media supported norms, the more negative our body image, and the greater the
risk for extreme weight or body control behaviours.
• Extreme dieting
• Extreme exercise compulsion
• Eating disorders
• Extreme or unnecessary plastic surgery
• Using steroids for muscle building
Who’s to blame for our body perceptions
Society gives us a number of reference points that shape our perceptions whether
positive or negative. / Today’s embedded ideals
• unrealistic images of beauty, genetically impossible for many of us to emulate.
• unattainable bodies
• perfect skin, tiny waists
The media is a powerful tool that reinforces cultural beliefs and values, and while it
may not be fully responsible for determining the standards for physical attractiveness,
it makes escaping the barrage of images and attitudes almost impossible.
• intolerance of body diversity
• prejudice of size and shape
• Being overweight is associated with the lazy, ugly, weak, and lacking in will-
power
Family and friends are particularly important in body image development
because we place high value on them
Positive body image involves understanding that healthy attractive bodies come
in many shapes and sizes, and that physical appearance says very little about
our character or value as a person.