Poor female self-image caused by?

Iamfit4life

if anyone basis any part of their life on Hollywood then they need to get a life..thank God i dont watch or read the trash that comes out of there

I honestly think it's more a problem with very young girls.

I plan on seeing to it that my daughter has much better women to look up to. I don't think parents these days do that all the time.
And this whole head game.....it starts very young.

MzMiller1215

I believe that women are the reason that women have eating disorders. Women dress to impress other women and some almost kill themselves so they can be skinnier than other women. Although there are some men out there who like the skin and bones females, I have met many more who prefer curvier women. Who cares if your man comments about "hot" celebrities. We do the same; we may not say it in front of our significant other but, we definitely appreciate the hard abs and muscular built celebrities.

Qarol

All I know is my self image in my 30s is so vastly improved over where it was in my 20s, it's like night and day! But once I start getting wrinkles, I dunno how well that trajectory will sustain itself.

ketrell

I believe a lot of times it start within the family when she/he is a child. If a child is a little chunky someone in the family may make comments about their weight. Then that child looks in the fashion magazines and see what they perceive as beautiful. They begin to believe that something must be wrong with them. Not only with weight but maybe it can be with body type.

LorinaLynn

Photoshop.

No, really. Photoshop.

Every ad, every billboard, every magazine has been heavily 'shopped. It's not obvious (most of the time), so one is lead to believe that those people actually do look like that. Celebrities and other people in the media are used by society as a marker of what one should aspire to be. Men have Calvin Cline models with their millions of abs. That is attainable. Pretty much anybody can get a 6-pack through work and dedication.

Women, otoh, have impossible goals to reach. There are a select number of women who can naturally reach the pedestal. The overwhelming majority of women will find it physically impossible to look like someone off of a magazine cover. Those women on the magazines don't even look like the picture. Far too much Photoshop has morphed women into inhuman things.

When you set physically unattainable goals, which is essentially what society has done through media outlets, then you're just going to fail over and over. Then you're a failure. Then you hate your body because you're not perfect like women in magazines.

While I think you have a bit of a point on who is controlling the fashion industry, I think that runs secondary to the media's role in setting unattainable goals of beauty for women.

Absolutely!!!

They're stretched and snipped and airbrushed and blurred to completely unrealistic textures and proportions, and that's after the perfect lighting, fantastic photographer, the contouring makeup, the hair extensions, the capped and bleached teeth, the clothes tailored or pinned to fit perfectly...

And when most of us see ourselves, it's in a mirror, straight on, with harsh overhead lighting. I can stand in the dressing room at Kohls and feel like the Michelin Man. On the other hand, I can take a picture with my camera on a tripod with the natural light coming through my living room windows at a good angle, and have great abs. With some tweaking in Photoshop, I could probably look like I belong on a magazine cover, but then I'd feel depressed that I don't look like that all the time. :laugh:

Most guys aren't going to be a Ryan Reynolds or Gerard Butler, either, but there's a greater variety among top actors and top actresses. Even among newscasters. I don't think I've never seen a plus-sized female anchor.

_beachgirl_

I think that there are many reasons woman have poor self-images. I think that TV/Movies/Magazines are a major contributor. It gives us something to compare ourselves to, and most of us fail miserably, or so we think. It seems to me to be much tougher on women than men. If you look on the news, on a TV show, or watch a movie, the men are short, grey, old, homely. and overweight. Yes, there are buff, handsome and tall men too. But look at the women? Not so much of a variety. Most are tall, thin, and gorgeous, or short, thin and gorgeous. Why is it more accepted for men to not fit into a certain mold than women?

I know what I struggled with growing up and what I still struggle with today. I hope by the changes I am making to myself that it helps my daughter be more accepting of herself for who she is and not how she looks or compares to someone on the cover of a magazine.

Execnpar

I agree with you "Fit4life" because if you go to other parts of the world say (Brazil) Women feel the need to be "thick" with big booties and what not. So it is all mental, Everyone trys to live up to whatever they believe is "sexy".Here in the states being a stick figure is considered sexy by the Media and the fashion industry. So hence why women try to be that. And actually I have heard some designer say that they want the women skinny because if she is "full figured" It would distract from the clothing.

ilookthetype

There was a study done a few months back (I heard about it from the Dan Savage Podcast) about what kind of porn guys will watch, specifically an underweight/low healthy BMI to high healthy BMI/overweight, guys watch porn with bigger women, hands down was the end conclusion.

The other thing to consider though, a lot of those guys are watching porn about bigger girls but not dating them, guys are also feeling pressure from friends to date thin girls.

What really bothered me about this post, no offense to the OP, but the assumption that eating disorders are to make a person's body appealing to OTHER people. Eating disorders often stem from trauma, and skewed vision of what one looks like, it has very little, at least my eating disorder, had very little to do with society.

macpatti

I blame myself. I remember when I was little looking at "pretty people" and wanting their hair color or skin type. I had freckles and soooo didn't want freckles. Then as I became a teen, I wanted the perfect figure, and wanted to wear all the post popular brand names. In my 20's I became even worse. I ate very little so I could stay tiny, and I spent money on clothes/purses I really couldn't afford. I don't know that it was so much me looking at Hollywood figures, magazines, or media as much as it was just looking at different people and wishing I could look like them.

PanteraGirl

Well said David......and this is why you are my friend

ketrell

I agree.

mmuzzatti

and here I am liking you they way you are....so much for keeping up with fashion!

Sweet13_Princess

I think that poor self-image is a result of upbringing. My mom was always heavy, so she was on me a lot about my weight, especially if I gained. She still does it!

I think the modeling industry simply increases the problematic aspects of the situation.

Shannon

_David_

the phrase "women should have more meat on their bones" is just wrong...comes off to me like your talking about a cow or other animal...just my inital thought on the topic....

Take it as you will I could care less. But I am not comparing females to cows, you are. Sorry if you didn't like it, read through the post and nove on

angryguy77

I have poor self image from the comments my husband makes about how hot and beautiful some celebs are-guess cause he doesn't say it to me it gives me that poor imagery

he should tell you how good looking you are everyday. No offense, but from the looks of it, he overachieved and should consider himself lucky.

La_Amazona

I think it's a cycle. And I also think it can come from many other things as well such as the way you grew up, what you were told as you were growing up, etc...

But I'll stick to your 2 options. I think it has to do with both and like I said, the cycle. Both options feed off of each other. The media throws it in our face that this is what sexy is, this is what looks good, this is what is hot and basically if you don't look like this, you're lacking. Men (and women) then see this all the time as well. There's porn, there's magazines, there's the commercials in which men as young boys grow up looking at the "hot" women and when they're gf or wife cannot compete because she's not photoshopped or doesn't have the big boobs all the make up, then she's lacking. I think both options attribute to low self image.

_David_

There was a study done a few months back (I heard about it from the Dan Savage Podcast) about what kind of porn guys will watch, specifically an underweight/low healthy BMI to high healthy BMI/overweight, guys watch porn with bigger women, hands down was the end conclusion.

The other thing to consider though, a lot of those guys are watching porn about bigger girls but not dating them, guys are also feeling pressure from friends to date thin girls.

What really bothered me about this post, no offense to the OP, but the assumption that eating disorders are to make a person's body appealing to OTHER people. Eating disorders often stem from trauma, and skewed vision of what one looks like, it has very little, at least my eating disorder, had very little to do with society.

YOUR eating disorder may have come from trauma but look at society and tell me that they have all had traumatic experiences and now the are underweight and unhealthy...

FearAnLoathing

I dont get looking toward movies,magazines and such and feeling like I have to look a certine way. I have never felt like I need to look like anyone but myself because honestly its impossible to look like anyone but yourself without mass amounts of surgery.
I read the fashion mags and the gossip mags and have never felt like I needed to be these people or have the body they do even as a teen

Lozzy_82

Photoshop.

No, really. Photoshop.

Every ad, every billboard, every magazine has been heavily 'shopped. It's not obvious (most of the time), so one is lead to believe that those people actually do look like that. Celebrities and other people in the media are used by society as a marker of what one should aspire to be. Men have Calvin Cline models with their millions of abs. That is attainable. Pretty much anybody can get a 6-pack through work and dedication.

Women, otoh, have impossible goals to reach. There are a select number of women who can naturally reach the pedestal. The overwhelming majority of women will find it physically impossible to look like someone off of a magazine cover. Those women on the magazines don't even look like the picture. Far too much Photoshop has morphed women into inhuman things.

When you set physically unattainable goals, which is essentially what society has done through media outlets, then you're just going to fail over and over. Then you're a failure. Then you hate your body because you're not perfect like women in magazines.

While I think you have a bit of a point on who is controlling the fashion industry, I think that runs secondary to the media's role in setting unattainable goals of beauty for women.

This is very true. I believe Cindy Crawford once said "I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford"!

HealthIsMyHobby

the fashion industry and the advertising industry set unrealistic standards. on the fashion runway it's done with makeup, lighting, and tailoring the clothes to fit each model individually. in print and video advertising it's done with photoshop. not even the models look like the manipulated images that are presented.

that said, i wonder, with so much social pressure to be thin, why do we have an obesity epidemic.

don't strive for the unrealistic unattainable standard. strive for healthy.

ilookthetype

There was a study done a few months back (I heard about it from the Dan Savage Podcast) about what kind of porn guys will watch, specifically an underweight/low healthy BMI to high healthy BMI/overweight, guys watch porn with bigger women, hands down was the end conclusion.

The other thing to consider though, a lot of those guys are watching porn about bigger girls but not dating them, guys are also feeling pressure from friends to date thin girls.

What really bothered me about this post, no offense to the OP, but the assumption that eating disorders are to make a person's body appealing to OTHER people. Eating disorders often stem from trauma, and skewed vision of what one looks like, it has very little, at least my eating disorder, had very little to do with society.

YOUR eating disorder may have come from trauma but look at society and tell me that they have all had traumatic experiences and now the are underweight and unhealthy...

Sorry, my eating disorder, the eating disorders of the girls in my group sessions/and other friends have a connection to having sexual abuse/rape in our history, eating disorders are a common consequence of such a thing. A true eating disorder is a distorted sense of self image, seeing only fat when looking in the mirror, it has nothing to do with the way other people see them, it's psychological. Maybe YOU should look at society and see how rampant sex crimes/childhood trauma against women are, might make what I've said make more sense. I never said all eating disorders stemmed from trauma, I said often.

livnlite

Personally, (when it comes to the super model thin look) I think the media has a lot to do with it, probably primarily .. especially when it comes to body image. During the time when women were 'full figured' .. The idols were stars like Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Liz Taylor, Ava Gardener .. just to name a few. Those women were iconic in 'the day. They set the example for women by way of fashion and body image. Now days it's supermodels .. super waify, super thin. The imagery has changed. Coupled with the fact that women's worst critics aren't men .. Women dress to impress OTHER women. I think it is more primal and directly related to competition for a mate.

Do really think men care if a woman's shoes match her belt, or her purse (or both). More often than not, men look beyond the sexy outfit ... The outfit benefits how the woman feels, differently the man. It makes HER feel sexy .. Makes HIM feel like he's gonna get sex. It's nature's call ... It all has to do with attracting the opposite sex as a mating ritual.

The man (not all men .. I'm saying for the most part) couldn't care less if it's hanging on her or if it's crumpled on the floor... She tends to think in the moment .... He tends to think a little farther ahead.

angelicdisgrace

They show us pictures of some woman who just had a baby and put it on US Weekly "HOW SHE LOST THE WEIGHT" well, she has a trainer and a dietitian and it's her job to be a size zero.

I went NUTS trying to do that, trying to look like that.
Women are very very hard on themselves.
I wish the modeling industry would use women who look more "average" in figure.

I totally hate even looking at those magazines. Oh she dropped her baby weight in two to three weeks. I mean come-on. They don't work or have a "real" family without nannies and cleaning ladies. They can spend all their day with a personal trainer and a personal dietician who probably makes their meals. In real life it's hard. Hell I've been stuck 175 for the past 6 weeks just to gain 8 lbs and that's because I work out the beejezus out of my body anywhere from 5-6 days a week. Anyone that's my mfp friend can see my calories burnt from exercise. I am losing tons of inches and toning up. Still it's impossible for us to compare ourselves to the celebrities and models. I say eff them all and live a healthy life.

ItsCasey

I believe that women are the reason that women have eating disorders. Women dress to impress other women and some almost kill themselves so they can be skinnier than other women. Although there are some men out there who like the skin and bones females, I have met many more who prefer curvier women. Who cares if your man comments about "hot" celebrities. We do the same; we may not say it in front of our significant other but, we definitely appreciate the hard abs and muscular built celebrities.

You hit on an interesting point with the competition aspect, i.e. women wanting to be thinner than other women. I think this is a big issue that gets overlooked when people talk about why women have body image problems. It's not necessarily that they want to look hotter for men; it is often because someone at work lost a lot of weight and is getting tons of compliments and attention around the office. Or a female relative who was always bigger than you is suddenly now the same size, and you're not comfortable with that, so you try to lose weight to "beat" her. I have a cousin who is like this. She has always been thin and gorgeous, but when I lost weight and people started saying I was the same size as she is now, she decided she had to start starving herself. It had nothing to do with men or the fashion industry.

I also think there is a lack of understanding about the difference between fashion models and swimsuit/lingerie models. The models you see on fashion runways are chosen because WOMEN prefer to view clothing worn on very thin frames for whatever reason (as has already been pointed out, studies have shown that when fashion houses use thicker models, their clothing doesn't get the same response from buyers). Swimsuit and lingerie models are the ones who appeal to men. How many straight guys do you know who can name even one of the current top fashion models (e.g. Jourdan Dunn, Karlie Kloss, etc.)? But most of the guys I know, know who Adriana Lima is. And while models like her aren't the least bit fat, they have more "meat on their bones" than fashion models because nobody wants to see a swimsuit on a girl whose sternum is sticking out.

Hannah_Banana

At the risk of being flamed -

I have held a theory for a long time that supermodels are so thin because homosexual men are attracted to MALE figures. And when you remove a woman's curves, she looks much like a young man (who hasn't filled out yet). But runway models are a VERY bad thing to judge beauty off of, the reason (according to my runway model friend) is because you aren't showcasing a body, you're showcasing clothing. You're a walking hanger. :ohwell:

ladyhawk00

This is a potentially good topic with the opportunity for some great discussion, information and insight. We would really like to be able to keep it up. But we can only do that if everyone keeps it respectful and on topic. So please remember forum rules:

4) Do not attack/slam/insult other users. The forums are here so that members can help support one another. Attacks or insults against each other takes away from the supportive atmosphere and will not be tolerated. You can discuss the message or topic, but not the messenger - NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, YOU will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself, defending a friend, etc. are NOT excuses. Violations of this rule are taken very seriously and may result in being banned without warning! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all

Please keep it a civil debate. Thanks for your cooperation.

Ladyhawk00
MyFitnessPal Forum Moderator

ilookthetype

At the risk of being flamed -

I have held a theory for a long time that supermodels are so thin because homosexual men are attracted to MALE figures. And when you remove a woman's curves, she looks much like a young man (who hasn't filled out yet). But runway models are a VERY bad thing to judge beauty off of, the reason (according to my runway model friend) is because you aren't showcasing a body, you're showcasing clothing. You're a walking hanger. :ohwell:

I would totally believe this.

_beachgirl_

This is a potentially good topic with the opportunity for some great discussion, information and insight. We would really like to be able to keep it up. But we can only do that if everyone keeps it respectful and on topic. So please remember forum rules:

4) Do not attack/slam/insult other users. The forums are here so that members can help support one another. Attacks or insults against each other takes away from the supportive atmosphere and will not be tolerated. You can discuss the message or topic, but not the messenger - NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, YOU will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself, defending a friend, etc. are NOT excuses. Violations of this rule are taken very seriously and may result in being banned without warning! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all

Please keep it a civil debate. Thanks for your cooperation.

Ladyhawk00
MyFitnessPal Forum Moderator

Thank you for putting it back up! :flowerforyou:

livnlite

There was a study done a few months back (I heard about it from the Dan Savage Podcast) about what kind of porn guys will watch, specifically an underweight/low healthy BMI to high healthy BMI/overweight, guys watch porn with bigger women, hands down was the end conclusion.

The other thing to consider though, a lot of those guys are watching porn about bigger girls but not dating them, guys are also feeling pressure from friends to date thin girls.

What really bothered me about this post, no offense to the OP, but the assumption that eating disorders are to make a person's body appealing to OTHER people. Eating disorders often stem from trauma, and skewed vision of what one looks like, it has very little, at least my eating disorder, had very little to do with society.

YOUR eating disorder may have come from trauma but look at society and tell me that they have all had traumatic experiences and now the are underweight and unhealthy...

Sorry, my eating disorder, the eating disorders of the girls in my group sessions/and other friends have a connection to having sexual abuse/rape in our history, eating disorders are a common consequence of such a thing. A true eating disorder is a distorted sense of self image, seeing only fat when looking in the mirror, it has nothing to do with the way other people see them, it's psychological. Maybe YOU should look at society and see how rampant sex crimes/childhood trauma against women are, might make what I've said make more sense. I never said all eating disorders stemmed from trauma, I said often.

I agree .. Not all thin people have eating disorders. For some, being thin is a matter of personal choice (driven by imagery and the ideal that they look better thin) .... for others it's phobic (driven by emotion and ideal that they don't want to be fat coupled with what they 'think' they see when they look at their image in a mirror).

Iamfit4life

At the risk of being flamed -

I have held a theory for a long time that supermodels are so thin because homosexual men are attracted to MALE figures. And when you remove a woman's curves, she looks much like a young man (who hasn't filled out yet). But runway models are a VERY bad thing to judge beauty off of, the reason (according to my runway model friend) is because you aren't showcasing a body, you're showcasing clothing. You're a walking hanger. :ohwell:

probably true, honestly.