Got Plastic? May 3, 2011

“In 2003, more than 223,000 cosmetic procedures were performed on patients 18 years of age or younger, and almost 39,000 were surgical procedures such as nose reshaping, breast lifts, breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tucks” (Diana Zuckerman, 2).

Young adults, especially teens, believe that plastic surgery will increase their self confidence and make life much more enjoyable and worth while… but does it?

 There are no studies to prove that plastic surgery does any type of positive influences on young adults.

A recent study, Body Image Satisfaction In Adolescent Girls and Boys: A Longitudinal Study written by Maijaliisa Rauste-von Wright within the Journal of Youth and Adolescents found that adolescents from age 11 to 18 found rates of body image satisfaction were highest at age 18 within males and females and with that the satisfaction of individuals varied as a their age and developmental stage increased.

Everyone has insecurities about their bodies, but everyone is different! Everybody has something beautiful to offer, don’t let a piece of artificial plastic change your natural beauty.  Keep on growing and keep on moving on in life. Learn to love your body, before you’ll have to love the plastic.

Something to try:

Write down 5 items that your body lets you do each day!

Examples:

1) Walking to class

2) Eating a delicious lunch with friends!

3) Taking a bike ride

4) Playing with your cat or dog

5) Writing that 10 page paper that has been hanging over your head the past week

Resources

Cosmetic Procedures

Body Image Satisfaction

What a drunkorexic… May 1, 2011

Apparently there has been a new trend going around campus. While college students, mostly females are trying to keep it on the down low, health professionals around the entire nation deny this arising behavior to continue.

Behaviors of eating disorders, like anorexia or bulimia combined with alcohol, equals the new slang term, “drunkorexia”.  Drunkorexia is not considered a technical medical term. However, health professionals are well aware of what’s occurring on college campuses.  Students are refraining from eating throughout the day to significantly reduce their caloric intake, while later they drink alcohol as the primary source of daily calories.  Another behavior that goes hand in hand with this new disorder, is bingeing and purging. After a long night of drinking, there is easy access to fast food or fried food, which then leads to regurgitating it all after getting home for the night.

… So it this a surprise?

Not at all… Students are faced with pressures to remain thin and strive for that “thin ideal” body type. Drunkorexia enables young women, especially on college campuses to go out and party during the weekends without gaining weight from the excessive calories alcohol contains.

“It’s socially acceptable to be drunk, but it’s not okay to be fat,” says Ian Marber, a nutritionist who witnesses similar behaviors of his young female clients.   There is a large pressure for young women, in particular to participate in drinking during the weekend but still manage to stay thin.

If any of these descriptions sounds like habits you partake in during the weekend, check out RecoveryConnection.org.  You’re not alone. This is a popular behavior on the rise of college campuses and just learning some healthier ways to manage you eating habits when you know you’re going out can make all the difference, while still staying comfortable with your body image.

Resources

Ian Marber

RecoveryConnection.org

“Macho macho man.. I want to be a macho man” April 30, 2011

Did you know…

In 1997, American men spent:

• $4 billion on exercise equipment and health club memberships
• $3 billion on grooming aids and fragrances
• $800 million on hair transplants

If that was in 1997, can you imagine how much money spent today has jacked up, literally?

Over the past decade, men’s body image has spoken up. “Males associate their attractiveness with increased muscle definition, and are concerned about body shape as opposed to weight and increasing their muscle mass” (Knowlton, 1995; University of Iowa Health Care, 2002).

These days, being a man, can be just as nerve racking as being a women. Physical attractiveness of a man is more important than it ever has been.  Just like a women’s world, there are an abundance of magazine advertisements to supposedly better one’s physique. Just like the average female runway model has decreased in size, so has the male centerfold Playgirl models.  Media is not just out to take down the females, look out guys.. here they come.

So, what is the perfect body for a man?  Clearly displayed in everyday media, its apparently men with very low body fat, and defined muscle mass. Draw a “V” on a piece of paper and you have your ideal male body type; large shoulders and small stomach.  Within the past several years, males, especially younger boys have been getting an altered idea of what a “man’s” body is suppose to look like. GI Joe action figure dolls, similar to a Barbie doll for a female, has gotten thinner in the waste and larger in muscle mass and definition.

With these new occurrences in men’s body images, comes a little present from the media. There have been recent reports of eating disorders in men.  Approximately 17 % of men are dieting at any given time; 1 in 10 people with anorexia are male; 4% of men purge after eating; three per cent binge eat; and an estimated 3%  of adolescent boys use muscle enhancing drugs (including steroids) to help achieve the “ideal” body.

It is clear that eating concerns is a rising issue within the male population in this country. However, since it is a newer issue, many males are not reporting their issues. Just like females, implementing male eating disorder/media affects in education programs can help advertise and increase support to males that may not feel they have the support they need to report a problem.

.. so guys. Don’t be ashamed, but don’t become a macho man either, get that help you deserve!

Visit the National Eating Disorders website for more information.

I’m a size.. what? April 26, 2011

A little tiff between you and a friend can cause an attitude change for the rest of your day, but can you believe a tag size on a pair of pants can too?

No one has any control on how clothes are tailored by the manufacturer, yet many within this nation allow the size on the tag to affect them, negatively and positively. This factor could make or break the rest of the day. But why?

A recent survey by a clothing alteration chain Look Smart reported that their customers commented on owning clothing in different sizes,  with half saying that sizing variations made them feel disgusted with themselves, frustrated, depressed and even fat.

Also, Tammy R. Kinleym writer of The Effect of Clothing Size on Self-Esteem and Body Image within the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Researchsays that designers, manufacturers and retailers create their own sizing components but also tend to alter them from time to time. “…what is generally understood as a size 10 for a brand might change to a size 8 next season in a practice called vanity sizing, generally as a means to flatter the ego of the customer who feels better about buying a smaller size”(DesMarteau, 2000).

Women, mostly want to be able to try on clothes that reflect “their size” with also being able to fit into them nicely while shopping. When the clothes don’t fit, women find it easy to blame themselves for not fitting into these clothes, causing a change in attitude and depressed feelings.

Clothing sizes vary from each manufacturer and its important to keep this in mind!

Don’t allow clothing to affect your mood. There are so many other things in life to worry about or be happy about!  Just remember, that piece of cake was delicious last night and it’s not why those pair of shorts are fitting right. It is usually the inconsistency in sizing within the retailer.  This is the only time in life you don’t have to take responsibility for you own actions! Blame that pair of jeans that can’t seem to fit your body type.  Most importantly, don’t allow the size of your pants ruin your day!

Resources

The Effect of Clothing Size on Self-Esteem and Body Image

Look Smart

Seeing… should not be believing. April 17, 2011

Body image is the general outlook of yourself regarding your own attractiveness and beauty of your body.  One with a negative body image may perceive themselves as overweight, ugly, or lacking the ideal body shape (super models).  The U.S pertains to a high standard beauty society.  Raising this bar, of being thin and beautiful creates room for an increase epidemic of poor body image.

“Glamour magazine study of 300 women reveals that on average women have 13 negative body image thoughts per hour” – Glamour Magazine

Photo Credit By Glamour Magazine

This is not to say, only women are effected by negative body image.  Men may act upon their poor body image by consuming steroids, spending excessive time working out or even other behaviors, similar to females.

Much of this body image can be blamed towards our distorted media images that this entire society views on a daily basis.  Scott Kelby, the president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals tells The Los Angeles Times that he deems the truth that ‘every single major magazine cover is retouched’.

Take a look at the following clip to get a better take on the effect of Photoshop and the increased effort to address the widespread issue of destructive advertising which is creating false perceptions of beauty among male and females worldwide, every day.

Photoshop: The Perfect Lie

Resources:

Glamour Magazine

National Association of Photoshop Professionals

The Los Angeles Times

Men’s Body Image

The “White Female Disease”

“I think about food constantly. I am always trying to control the calories and fat I eat, but so often I end up overeating. Then I feel guilty and vomit or take laxatives so I won’t gain weight. Each time this happens I promise myself that the next day I will eat normally and stop the vomiting and laxatives. However, the next day the same thing happens. I know this is bad for my body, but I am so afraid of gaining weight.”

When you read this… what image of this victim did you visualize?

This excerpt came from a 26 year old African American woman. For many people, a young, white, female middle to upper class comes to mind.

Anyone can be affected by an eating disorder..

It’s thought that only white, young, middle class females are the ones that suffer from eating disorders.  Unfortunately, anyone can suffer from an eating disorder.  African Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Hispanic, Latino, European, woman or men, rich or poor – all can endure.

Statistics available today were all written based on college campuses research and hospital clinics.  Due to economic related issues, health care access and cultural beliefs, young, middle class females were the only ones being treated with such illnesses.

This type of disease is thought of as a “white person” disease, and if it keeps perpetuating this ideal, ones with an issue, may feel disconnected from help and less of them will come forward to get the  help they warrant.

Check out NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) to learn more about the diversity of eating disorders and methods of helping yourself and others with body image!

Resources:

National Eating Disorders Association

Women of Color

Eating Disorders and Minorities

End Fat Talk! April 16, 2011

[“I’m so fat."                 “Why can’t I look like that?”         “Why am I so ugly?” ]

STOP! This is fat talk…  

 This talk doesn’t make you feel good does it?

Tri Delta and The Center for Living, Learning and Living created a week during October 17-21, every year, to raise awareness of fat talk hazards and the negative influences it has on body image.  Fat talk and the thin ideal are all sponsored by this kind of talk.

Although it’s not October, it is that time of year when bikinis are in the stores.  The pressure to be thin and beautiful is roaring.    Practice eliminating fat talk in your life and help end the negative effects of these behaviors that blanket this entire country.

Take a look at these two short clips, to learn more about what Tri Delta is trying to achieve.

Fat Talk Free  #1

Fat Talk Free  #2

Even if it is too hard to stop talking fat right away, think about these two clips.  The next time you do… remember you’re not alone in this thinking. It’s easy to fall into the trap of media pressure, but don’t let that bring you down.

Practice a Fat talk free life!

Resources:

Tri Delta

Fat Talk Free