When my 5 year old niece vaguely mentioned she wants to get thin, I was horrified.Constantly hearing words like gym fat shirking clothes in her surroundings she constructed a notion in her mind that being not thin is something that is not acceptable, just like crossing the road alone or going anywhere without informing. Another 14 year old revealed that she eats little more than normal during marriages, so to balance out she reduces her food proportion vastly for preceding 3 or 4 days. According to her once you go out of shape, it is a task to get back. These might be mundane details of our every day life but this scenario doesn’t look very healthy(pun intended).
We live in a world where much emphasis is placed on how women look and the bar is constantly raised out of reach. Comparing ourselves to a Victoria’s secrets model who have spidery long legs, tan skin, or full D cups is not justifiable. These women are employed to work out, wear makeup, and walk a runway: they are not a legitimate comparison to the average woman. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best to be healthy and beautiful. But it does mean we stop filling our minds with an unrealistic expectation of beauty. It sends a message that if we only looked like this we would receive attention, success, and opportunity.
Nobody uses pure models anymore, all magazine and marketing firms add another element: Photoshop.
Another reason: Social Media. When teens log on to social networking sites, they see cherry-picked photographs and seemingly flawless social lives. Because people can select which images of themselves they want to present, they often choose pictures that display their best physical qualities. People viewing these images might be overwhelmed by their own apparent lack of perfection. Direct negative effect to an average woman :