Gee...I wonder why women have body issues...

If I want to see average girls, I'll just go outside and look around. I think magazine covers are a nice escape from reality where you can see perfection.

It also gives everyone something to shoot for. When I real Men's Health and see the guys with the perfect abs, it gives me something to strive for. I use it as motivation more than anything else.

Average girls??? That was pretty low. You must be one that makes women feel that they should be better than they are. Looking at a picture on magazine does not cause me to strive to look like them especially when clearly its not reality. Anyone can look good in photoshop.

not mad..you do come off a bit arrogant.

Haha. I can't tell which one is supposed to be "better" on most/all of these.

Those are very slight photo-shopped corrections. They are just turning a 9.5 into a 10. NBD.

Agreed for some of it. They are very beautiful women who only look a little more polished when they're photoshopped. However, if even what we consider to be the most beautiful women are having bags under their eyes removed, a tiny trace of a stomach roll (simply because she's hunched over), and any natural blemishes removed, it really shows that the average person can't attain it. So we try for magazine perfection that no one, not even the girl in the photo can get, and then are depressed and feel bad about our own bodies when we can't get there.

I think blaming magazines is a cop out. Especially now when so many before photoshop pictures are being released.

If someone feels bad about themselves, their first step is to stop blaming other people and the media for it. Then focus on themselves and better themselves for themselves. See what I'm saying? Not for anyone else.
Being truly confident doesn't mean you're in the best shape ever, it means NOT comparing yourself and accepting yourself, flaws and all

Yes. and clearly this is just an issue with woman. If only men could be more accepting like women. Like just the other day I heard a group of woman talking about how gross all those tight ripped guys were in twilight. Then they kept saying, 'If only I could find man as sexy as Kevin James, then I'd be happy'. Oh yeah, you ladies are totally discriminated against

Holy crap, Madonna is quite haggard looking

Those are very slight photo-shopped corrections. They are just turning a 9.5 into a 10. NBD.

Agreed for some of it. They are very beautiful women who only look a little more polished when they're photoshopped. However, if even what we consider to be the most beautiful women are having bags under their eyes removed, a tiny trace of a stomach roll (simply because she's hunched over), and any natural blemishes removed, it really shows that the average person can't attain it. So we try for magazine perfection that no one, not even the girl in the photo can get, and then are depressed and feel bad about our own bodies when we can't get there.

I think blaming magazines is a cop out. Especially now when so many before photoshop pictures are being released.

If someone feels bad about themselves, their first step is to stop blaming other people and the media for it. Then focus on themselves and better themselves for themselves. See what I'm saying? Not for anyone else.
Being truly confident doesn't mean you're in the best shape ever, it means NOT comparing yourself and accepting yourself, flaws and all

That's fine and true for adults, or should be even if it isn't, but those magazines sell very well to children. And body image issues tend to start in childhood.

But what can you do? Our societies are obsessed with appearance and to some extent so is our species. It's sad but it's a war against both biology and a whole lot of money made by a collection of industries that has gotten rich convincing us we aren't good enough.

Also, they make money telling us we stink.

Those are very slight photo-shopped corrections. They are just turning a 9.5 into a 10. NBD.

Less of the numbers!

I hate that they made everyone's arms into sticks..:laugh:

While the ones where they litterally shaved pounds off of people (ie Kelly Clarkson and Brittney Spears)... All the other ones were not much different than if they put a pound of make up on their faces or using different lighting techniques... photoshop is just but one tool in a photographers arsinal... I have quite a few friends that are photographers (albeit not celebrity ones) and they use photoshop ALL the time... to make already gorgeous eyes pop more.

Heck, if women body builders could use photoshop to look better in their competitions they would... I just don't think it's that big of a deal to be honest. But then I'm not looking to look like a celebrity.

Those are very slight photo-shopped corrections. They are just turning a 9.5 into a 10. NBD.

Agreed for some of it. They are very beautiful women who only look a little more polished when they're photoshopped. However, if even what we consider to be the most beautiful women are having bags under their eyes removed, a tiny trace of a stomach roll (simply because she's hunched over), and any natural blemishes removed, it really shows that the average person can't attain it. So we try for magazine perfection that no one, not even the girl in the photo can get, and then are depressed and feel bad about our own bodies when we can't get there.

I think blaming magazines is a cop out. Especially now when so many before photoshop pictures are being released.

If someone feels bad about themselves, their first step is to stop blaming other people and the media for it. Then focus on themselves and better themselves for themselves. See what I'm saying? Not for anyone else.
Being truly confident doesn't mean you're in the best shape ever, it means NOT comparing yourself and accepting yourself, flaws and all

Absolutely this and what Gonzo said.

OP, there have been posts I have been flat out ripped over the coals for pointing out, "Why base one's looks or self-perception on anything external?" when women have been, "Do you really think so and so is a size 0?" or "Which celebrity do you wish you could look like?"

Celebrities and the media are nearly everywhere, so obviously they're going to be ones people look to, but look at any Success Story on here. Yes, women want to know what someone else did because they want to achieve success for themselves, but often it's a, "I would kill to look like you!" or "I want your body!" or anything else in that vein. The issue isn't the media or photoshop. The issue is a lack of self-esteem.

Parents. Teach your kids about healthy self esteem and body image.

This.
A picture in a magazine just shouldn't matter.

Not gonna lie, I spent like ten minutes watching Katy Perry's boobs grow and shrink.

Glad I wasn't the only one!

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It shouldn't create body image issues for grown a$$ed women who realize, it's a lot of photoshopping. Personally I judge myself to my own standards and my own standards alone.
Any body image issues I may have, have nothing to do with any woman I've seen in the media or on a magazine.

It only concerns me the body image issues that it creates in very young women/teens. That scares the crap out of me.
However, I truly think great parenting should solve that.

The more young women are taught that strong and fit is great, that their minds and hearts are much more important than the aesthetics in the long run.. the better.
It would be lovely if we were all fit with gorgeous faces. But we aren't all alike.

Very young women and teens with body image issues grow into "grown a$$ed women" with body image issues. You don't just check your baggage at the doors of adulthood.

And I think the point is young women AREN'T taught that strong and fit are great. They are taught that if they don't look like those after pictures there's something wrong with them. They aren't always taught this by their parents--even truly great parents can't keep their kids from being inundated by these images. Even truly great parents, when putting this information into context, will be ignored or dismissed by the kid listening to it (cuz, hi -- teenagers).

It doesn't have to be a smack down of the magazines for publishing these photos, but seeing and understanding that there ARE before after pictures and that they can be this dramatic, is an important step to overcoming the idea that you must live up to those ideals.

If I want to see average girls, I'll just go outside and look around. I think magazine covers are a nice escape from reality where you can see perfection.

It also gives everyone something to shoot for. When I real Men's Health and see the guys with the perfect abs, it gives me something to strive for. I use it as motivation more than anything else.

You must not have a daughter. Young girls and young women are bombarded by this all the time. Personally, I never cared. But I have daughters, and I don't want them thinking this stuff is real, and that there is something wrong if they don't look that way.

Not gonna lie, I spent like ten minutes watching Katy Perry's boobs grow and shrink.

Glad I wasn't the only one!

M.F.P. Hottest Person/M.F.P. Most awesome person
Ice cream afficionado
"Winning" Certified Instructor
Been in gifs for 2 years and have studied custom gif creation

I approve of this gif.