"beautys standards"
...troduced to the island, only 3 percent of girls reported having vomited to control their weight. Three years later, that percentage rose to 15. A study by Chinese University compared body images in rural Chinese villages, where residents had little contact with the West, to those in Hong Kong. The women in Hong Kong weighed less, dieted more and strove to be thinner. The study concluded that, in the minds of the women, modernization equates success with "young, slender, more glamorous women." “In addition, concerns about weight and appearances will only serve to distract and hinder women from fighting for things they really need. In the United States, as well as abroad, women face discrimination, violence, a lack of health care, child care and education, just to name a few.” (www.beautymatters.com/blogspot.com) All these forms of oppression are connected, and they are all more important than the size of a waistline. For this reason, it is imperative to challenge these negative images about women's natural bodies whether they occur in the media, on the street or in conversations with friends. In a recent New York Times article reported that, for 51 years, an African woman was never crowned as Miss World. Many ethnic groups in West and Central Africa consider bigger women to be beautiful--but these women were considered "fat" by Western standards. However, last year the Nigerian "Most Beautiful Girl" judges used the tactic of sending a skinny contestant to compete for the Miss World crown. Agbani Darego won, and is now a national hero. While older Nigerians find her unattractive, younger girls see her as a role model. According to the article, Nigerian films and music are now praising slim girls, and women are increasingly dieting and exercising. “These examples of the Western ideal woman being exported to other parts of the world are alarming. Such images will no doubt tear at women's self-esteem in Africa and Asia every bit as much as they do in the United States. As more and more women do not eat because they fear being ugly or unwanted, a new type of violence will permeate their lives. Some feminists refer to women who have starved or manipulated their bodies to conform to the ideal as "beauty survivors." Such women must deal with the physical effects such as osteoporosis, malnutrition or surgery scars.” (http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/02/10/breaking.barriers/index.html) They also face some of the same symptoms of battery or rape survivors--difficulty having personal boundaries, disconnection from their own sense of body, difficulty believing in their own decision-making ability, emotional distance and lowered self-esteem. “It is revealing that the CBS news program "60 Minutes" recently published an article highlighting actress Aishwarya Rai as, perhaps, the "World’s Most Beautiful Woman." Miss Rai is a very light-skinned woman from India with sharp Caucasian-like features. The article also makes reference to White women of the past who were (and are) projected as the epitome of beauty and refinement. The problem with this perspective is that it shows great racism in that it assumes that White women, or those that look White, are the standard bearers for beauty and attractiveness and it makes these assumptions at the expense, neglect and denigration of Black women and women of color through out the world. It is also disturbing because it is done without even a hint of the offensiveness. It is as if the media has become so enamored with the truth and so confident of its effectiveness on the psyches of other races and ethnic groups that it does not hesitate to make these ridiculous and arrogant declarations. And it does so over and over again.” (www.nappystories.com/main/ nonfiction/beautystandards.htm) In interviews done with anonymous girls, they were asked how they felt about living up to beauty’s standards. “The entire concept of a "beauty ideal" is exclusive, oppressive and obnoxious. Despite (or because of) this, I find it fascinating. Mostly I'm obsessed with how these ideals change. What makes a different shape of body "fashionable" at different times? Who decides these things and why? Girls try to live up to these standards well, one because it makes them feel good about themselves. And two they think that guys want that typical-ness and only that –ness. I find it completely stupid, yet sometimes I find myself trying to live up to some of these standards. I think you should live them up to your personality” (Carolina Guerrero, 14) “If you believed what you read in fashion magazines, you'd think that in th...